Sign Up for the Recipe Publishing Newsletter
What is a New England Crab Cake?
A New England crab cake is made from fresh crabmeat caught off the coast of New England. Maine and Massachusetts are the primary sources for New England crab. The crab should be the freshest you can get. Crab cakes were a way to use up leftover bits of crab so none got wasted. Today, they are a gourmet experience in their own right.
A New England crab cake is made of lump crabmeat held together with a binder or two and some seasoning. They may be breaded and fried or broiled. There are many recipes for these crab cakes; beware of any that contain large amounts of binder and spicy flavors. You do not want to overwhelm the delicate flavor of the crabmeat.
All crab cakes must use at least a little binder to hold them together. This could be as simple as a beaten egg or it could include breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, or white bread. A little binder is fine and to be expected. Crab cakes with mostly filler and binder should be avoided. Crab cakes should be made primarily of crab, not filler. Seasonings should serve to complement the flavor of the crab, not cover it.
An excellent New England crab cake may be a bit fragile; this is okay. This means there are few fillers in the recipe and the cake is made almost exclusively of lump crabmeat. This is a very good thing. Every bite will be full of tender, sweet crab. Too much filler means you end up with a puck-sized cake that tastes faintly of crab under everything else. Crab may be expensive, but it is worth it to get a good crab cake.
Once your ingredients are mixed together, gently pat the crab cakes into shape. Part of the trick of keeping them together is letting them chill for a while before cooking. It helps the ingredients to set together. They can be a bit difficult to maneuver in the skillet, but with a little practice, you will get the hang of flipping them over without having them fall apart. One good tip for getting authentic New England crab cakes that do not fall apart is to use two spatulas when you turn them. Scoop the cake up on one spatula, and then sandwich it between the two spatulas. Flip them to turn the cake and gently scoot it back into the pan off of the second spatula.
New England crab cakes can be served on a bed of lettuce or in a sandwich. Either way is totally acceptable. Purists will eat the crab cakes as is with maybe a squeeze of lemon. Others may prefer a sauce or side dishes to accompany the delicious New England crab cakes. Whichever you prefer, just remember to always use the freshest crab available and keep the number of ingredients to a minimum. The whole reason for a crab cake is to taste the crab. Even though it may take a little practice, once you perfect your recipe you will wonder why you did not try making them before.
