In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best: This crab cake from F&W contributor Andrew Zimmern has been the most popular recipe on foodandwine.com since it went live in 2012. The reason is simple: It’s the best. Period. Zimmern explains why: “It doesn’t have a lot of filler, has no minced red pepper, no parsley—none of the usual crap that chefs typically ruin a good crab cake with.” This recipe originated with Zimmern’s best friend’s wife (a native of Baltimore), who calls this her “secret country club recipe.”
That is the intro from Food and Wine. The picture above is my own. I served these on a bed of Asian slaw and curry mayonnaise, instead of the more traditional, remoulade.
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce until smooth.
In a medium bowl, lightly toss the crabmeat with the cracker crumbs. Gently fold in the mayonnaise mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Scoop the crab mixture into eight 1/3-cup mounds; lightly pack into 8 patties, about 1 1/2 inches thick. In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the crab cakes and cook over moderately high heat until deeply golden and heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the crab cakes to plates and serve with lemon wedges.
Make Ahead
The crab cakes can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight.
