These crab cakes are always a hit whenever we’re hosting a party – so much so that we always serve them when we entertain. My husband says it’s because they’re crab cakes with real crab! So many crab cakes are packed with filler. Serve these with your favourite aioli or seafood sauce for an easy but elegant entree, or make them mini-sized and you have the perfect holiday party hors d’oeuvres!

 

Makes 6 crab cakes

• 1 1/2 lb (750 g) Dungeness crabmeat, well drained, all shell removed
• 2 green onions
• 1/3 sweet red pepper, finely diced
• 1/3 sweet yellow pepper, finely diced
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) fresh fine white bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter

Coating:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (250 mL) dry white bread crumbs

In a bowl, mix together the crabmeat, green onions and red and yellow peppers. Add the beaten eggs and fresh bread crumbs. Using hands, mix well and form into 6 cakes, each about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. (For perfectly shaped crab cakes, use a round cookie cutter as a guide. Place the cookie cutter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Press the crabmeat into the cutter, then pull it up. Repeat 5 times.)

Coating: In a shallow dish suitable for dipping, beat the eggs. Place the dry bread crumbs in another shallow dish. Gently dip each crab cake into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumbs, turning to coat. Repeat the process so that each crab cake gets dipped twice. Refrigerate on a baking sheet until ready to cook.

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-low until just bubbling; cook the crab cakes until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve warm.