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Crab Cakes with Lime Mayonnaise

Gina: Pat is a meat-and-potatoes man, but me, I’ve gotta have my crab cakes. Every year, we go to a fancy restaurant in Memphis for our wedding anniversary, and I order crab cakes off the menu every time. I love them so much that Pat has started making them at home. Do you think he’s being cheap or treating me special? The secret to these crab cakes is using plenty of crab and not too much filling. The sunny Lime Mayonnaise packs a piquant punch.

Cooks' Note

Soft, fresh bread crumbs help crab cakes bind together better than dry bread crumbs, and they yield a lighter, more tender final result. A firm, white sandwich bread like Pepperidge Farm, trimmed of crusts and ground in a food processor, is a great choice (you can also use a baguette).

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 6 crabs cakes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 scallions, green and white parts, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Creole mustard (see page 93)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
2 or 3 grindings fresh black pepper
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked free of shells
1 cup soft fresh bread crumbs (see note)
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 recipe Lime Mayonnaise (recipe follows), for serving

Lime Mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise
1 large shallot, minced
Zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
(makes a generous cup)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, mayonnaise, egg, scallions, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, Creole mustard, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Gently fold in the crab meat and bread crumbs until they are just combined. Press the crab mixture into 1/2-cup measures, gently shape into six patties, then transfer the cakes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with half of the cornmeal. Sprinkle the tops of the cakes with the remaining cornmeal; cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.

    Step 2

    Preheat the oven to 200°F.

    Step 3

    Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in the pan, and fry the cakes until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip the crab cakes, and fry on the other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Keep the cakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven while you fry the remaining cakes. Serve them warm with Lime Mayonnaise.

  2. Lime Mayonnaise

    Step 4

    Stir together all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl, and chill until needed.

From Down Home with the Neelys by Patrick and Gina Neely Copyright (c) 2009 by Patrick and Gina Neely Published by Knopf. Patrick and Gina Neely are owners of Neely's Bar-B-Que in Memphis and hosts of several Food Network shows, including the series Down Home with the Neelys, one of the highest-rated programs to debut on the popular Food Network. High school sweethearts who reconciled at their ten-year reunion, they have been married since 1994. They live in Memphis with their two daughters. Paula Disbrowe collaborated with Susan Spicer on Crescent City Cooking and is the author of Cowgirl Cuisine.
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