Crab Cakes

This is my first attempt at making crab cakes and it turned out great!  I've never been a big fan of crab cakes because I've always thought that they don't taste crabby enough.  Usually it's too much mayonnaise and bread crumbs.  It makes sense since crab is pretty pricey, but if I'm going to splurge on crab, I'm going to taste crab. 

The sauce was my attempt at food art...I think I need to go back to school!  The sauce was a piquillo pepper sauce and while I liked it, I prefer remoulade or tartar with my crab cakes, or nothing.  Here's the recipe for the cakes:

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any shell fragments
1 egg white, beaten until foamy
1 T. flour
2 T. finely chopped fresh chives
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T. unsalted butter
3 T. peanut or other cooking oil
Lemon wedges
Put the cleaned crabmeat in a medium-sized bowl.  Slowly pour the egg white over the crabmeat, stopping to gently mix it together.  Let the crab and egg white sit for a few minutes.  Then, using a fine sieve, sprinkle the flour over the crabmeat.  Sprinkle with chives, cayenne, salt and pepper (about 1 t. salt/1 t. pepper).  Gently mix together.

Line a baking pan or dish with parchment paper.  Form six balls out of the crabmeat mixture, making sure not to overmix.  Place on parchment paper and gently press down to form the cake shape.  Sprinkle with salt.  Refrigerate at least one hour.

Heat oil and butter in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat.  If you don't have a large skillet, cook the cakes in two separate batches.  Cook the cakes for about 2 minutes on each side until nicely browned.  Drain the cakes on a paper towel-lined pan.

Serve with lemon wedges and your choice of sauce.

The recipe I followed was from Pat Conroy, the author of Prince of Tides and other great books.  I figured a Carolina boy would know how to make good crab cakes.