Photo: Leigh Loftus
I am not an easy person to cook for. It isn’t because I am picky, because I have dietary restrictions or because I’m a food snob. It’s because when you’re cooking for me, my requirement is that I be able to put the recipe on my blog (assuming, of course, that said recipe will be nothing short of spectacular).
This summer I have been dating someone who likes to cook as much as I do. Yet, while I rarely cook without jotting proportions and measurements on the cluttered chalkboard that hangs next to the cabinet over my sink, he swears by not measuring or using recipes.
Last week, he offered to come over on a Monday night and cook us dinner. What started as a low-key dinner for the two of us soon evolved into an invitation to two more of our friends and before long, we were making an impromptu dinner party for eight that included a raw seafood platter, three pounds of beef tenderloin, maple-glazed salmon, mashed red bliss potatoes and two homemade pies.
Despite the expansion of our menu, I mentioned that we had to stick to the original rule: at least one thing that we cooked needed to be “blog-worthy.”
That’s a word in the dictionary, right?
Even though pretty much everything we consumed last Monday night was worthy of internet fame (more about that pie later) it was soon certain that the first thing from the dinner party that needed to hit the Interwebs were the crab cakes with spicy remoulade. The crab cakes were melt-in-your mouth good and the sauce? Well, you might want to eat it by the spoonful.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
- 1 pound lump crab meat, drained, shell fragments removed
- 1 bell pepper, diced (red, green, yellow or a combination of any of the three)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about ½ large lemon)
- 2 green onions, white and green parts, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Canola oil, as needed
- Preheat an oven to about 350 degrees F.
- Combine first ten ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, take a scoop of the crab mixture and form it into a patty that is approximately 2 inches across and ¾ inches thick. For appetizer size, you can make the patties smaller and thinner, which will yield more cakes.
- Continue until you've made about 12 large or 20 small crab cake patties. If the mixture feels sticky, dust the sides with additional breadcrumbs.
- Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat and coat the bottom of the pan with canola oil (about two tablespoons). Place the crab cakes in the pan in one layer and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining patties and the bake crab cakes in 350 degree oven for about eight minutes or until evenly browned. Serve immediately.
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions (both green and white parts)
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds or until all ingredients are combined and mixture is smooth. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator until chilled. Sauce will keep for up to three days in an air tight container in the fridge. Makes approximately ¾ cup.
61 Comments
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Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
August 22, 2011 at 8:50 pmWow, that sure was some impromptu dinner party! I can only imagine what it might have included if you had planned it. 🙂 And this guy cooks? And cooks well? I bet that makes for some fun dates! Being from the Chesapeake Bay area, I love crab. I also love pie, and can’t wait to hear more about those!
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August 22, 2011 at 12:12 am[…] a recent post I mentioned that this summer, I started dating a guy who makes killer crab cakes. Because I am an honest person I need to come clean about something and admit to the internet that […]
Lisa from Lisas Yarns
August 18, 2011 at 6:41 amOo, a guy that cooks blog-worthy food? Wow! Color me impressed! Sounds like a delish menu. Those crab cakes look divine!!!
Nami | Just One Cookbook
August 18, 2011 at 1:57 amI love this colorful crab cakes Maris! Usually they tend to be more brown, but yours are so cute with colorful bell peppers! 🙂
Marsha @ The Harried Cook
August 17, 2011 at 10:15 pmCrab Cakes! Always love trying new crab cake recipes! Love this one – I’ve never used peppers in mine… Thanks for sharing!
Susan
August 17, 2011 at 12:36 pmBlog-worthy and date-worthy 🙂 When I was dating my husband, he offered to make dinner for us (a long time ago). It turned out to be Chef Boyardee spaghetti from a can! I married him anyway.
I love a good crab cake with remoulade!
lisa {smart food and fit}
August 16, 2011 at 1:51 pmWhat a fun recipe, I think I’d eat them all before I’d be able to take a picture of them. Wonderful photo’s and recipe as always!
Courtney
August 15, 2011 at 8:51 pmHow fun to both love cooking! Sounds like quite the party and the crabcakes sound heavenly!
Reeni
August 15, 2011 at 8:13 pmEverything does sound blog worthy! And delicious! Crab cakes are one of my favorite things – they look wonderful.
Candace
August 15, 2011 at 6:49 pmI love crab cakes so much and I love that they are served with a Spicy Remoulade sauce. Perfect!
I’m “pinning” this to try soon. Thanks!
katelin
August 15, 2011 at 4:28 pmi seriously could eat crab cakes every day. yum.
Sarah
August 15, 2011 at 1:08 pmOh yum. I am a huge crab cake fan. And yes, blog-worthy is a word. Also, this makes you a cooking couple … no?
Rachel W.
August 15, 2011 at 11:49 amWait wait wait…hold.the.phone. This is blog-OFFICIAL? Things are getting serious around here…you might say they’re even “heating up.” 🙂 <3
Alana D
August 15, 2011 at 11:43 amNothing is better than a meat cake and an awesome remoulade sauce.
Nicole@HeatOvenTo350
August 15, 2011 at 11:36 amI’m glad you jotted down the measurements for this one. It looks delicious! I’d say you’ve got a definite keeper on your hands.
My Inner Chick
August 15, 2011 at 11:28 am—I always order crab cakes out, but have never made them. I shall try to make them…because these look OUT of This World!!! WOW.
sarah
August 15, 2011 at 11:26 amMy mom has a serious obsession with crab crakes (a trip to Maryland apparently has side effects). When I find some super delicious crab in my land locked area, I will make this recipe for her. It looks sooooo good.
Geni
August 15, 2011 at 11:20 amYour crabcakes are perfection. The remoulade sounds like such a delicious match with them. It’s so nice that your BF likes to cook as much as you do. My husband has caught PopTarts on fire and is not really “allowed” much in the kitchen. Thank goodness is a great grill master though.
Joanne
August 15, 2011 at 10:30 amThis is perhaps why I will only date people who have no desire to be in the kitchen. This way I know everything I make will be blog-worthy lol! These crab cakes do look quite delicious though. Perfect dinner party fare!
Tracy
August 15, 2011 at 10:19 amHaha, I absolutely know what you mean about recipes being “blog-worthy.” These crab cakes look like they pass the test! 🙂
Kate
August 15, 2011 at 10:03 amI love crab cakes and these sound delicious! Also love the spicy remoulade 🙂 Wish I was at your dinner party!
Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets
August 15, 2011 at 9:54 amLove crab cakes and often get them while I’m out — have yet to try making them myself. The remoulade sounds amazing!
Lindsay @ Pinch of Yum
August 15, 2011 at 9:36 amLOVE crab cakes! These look so good! And how fun for you to be dating a fellow food enthusiast. 🙂
Bonnie from sweet Life
August 15, 2011 at 9:34 am“blog worthy” is found in the blogger dictionary, lol
Great dinner party, cannot wait to see the pie!!
happy monday!
Lisa
August 15, 2011 at 9:09 amWhen I cook, I barely follow a recipe. When I bake, I’m Einstein lol Those crab cakes look to be perfection! Wish I was at that dinner party! 🙂
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective
August 15, 2011 at 8:13 amWe use the word blog-worthy ALL THE TIME. Ha! The crab cakes look fantastic.
newlywed
August 15, 2011 at 7:51 amLooks incredible. That’s quite the impromptu dinner party — I clearly need friends like you to invite me over =)
Mary
August 15, 2011 at 7:48 amYou are an expensive date 🙂 I’m sure you are worth every penny this filet and crab meal for eight ended up costing. The crab cakes sound really wonderful. I know I’d love to sample them. Blessings…Mary
Kitchen Belleicious
August 15, 2011 at 7:02 amYour crab cakes look amazing. I swear our minds think alike. I just made green chile crab cakes on saturday but not for an impromptu party- because i felt like it! LOL! We love our seafood around here. Wish I would have seen your recipe before making my own!
Gina (The Candid RD)
August 15, 2011 at 6:47 amThat’s the one thing Nick is lacking….cooking skills! Well, he can cook, he just never does. What a bummer. And yes, “blogworthy” is definitely a word, we use it all the time in this house!!
Blond Duck
August 15, 2011 at 6:25 amI’m not hard to cook for, but it’s hard for restaurants to cook for me. If that makes sense.
Tanvi@SinfullySpicy
August 15, 2011 at 1:29 amHow sweet- I loved the little understanding between two of you with the blog in picture..Love these crab cakes and that sauce is just calling my name!
Emma
August 14, 2011 at 10:09 pmOh Maris, we are so samesies today!
My boyfriend won my heart (and my stomach) with his excellent crab cake-making skills, honed in a restaurant basement during his formative high school years. I knew nothing of the delights of crab cakes – or spicy mayo remoulade – before associatin’ with the likes of him. We actually just made some last night for a friend’s goodbye / moving away dinner. How wild:)
Junia @ Mis Pensamientos
August 14, 2011 at 9:52 pmawww that is so much fun – cooking with your date! i love having a random assortment of food and creating something spectacular for dinner. hehehe “blog worthy” – we all know that term…
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
August 14, 2011 at 8:42 pmHehe that’s so cute how you only meant to do something small but then it snowballed. It happens to me all the time! 😛
Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking
August 14, 2011 at 8:42 pmOh this looks really delicious and would be a great recipe for guests!!
Wendy
August 14, 2011 at 8:37 pmthat sauce does sound delicious – and with low fat mayo no less! Look forward to more recipes from the two of you!
sophia
August 14, 2011 at 8:00 pmOh wow. I think you found the perfect guy– he sounds wonderful to me!! I have a feeling that you and I would get well along in the kitchen together, too. The only thing is that I don’t measure, so my recipes aren’t definite. 🙂
BakerbyNature
August 14, 2011 at 7:51 pmMaris, these look divine! I love last minute dinner parties- it seems like Summer is full of them.
yummychunklet
August 14, 2011 at 6:08 pmI adore crab cakes! I’m going to visit my friend in Baltimore soon and I’ll be using your recipe to make some authentic, fresh crab cakes!
alyssa - fashion fitness foodie
August 14, 2011 at 5:59 pmgiiiirl you know i love crab cakes! I’m from Maryland!
Three-Cookies
August 14, 2011 at 5:28 pm“blog-worthy” – if its not in the dictionary it will be soon:)
MegSmith @ Cooking.In.College
August 14, 2011 at 5:25 pmThank you for the comment Maris! Those crab cakes look wonderful. Anyone who loves to cook and cooks such delicious things is a keeper for sure! I always get so nervous when cooking for friends but it sounds like your night was a great success!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.
August 14, 2011 at 3:35 pmThese sounds SO good. I love crab cakes, especially with Remoulade!
Liz
August 14, 2011 at 3:33 pmI guess I have heard about your pies…YUM!
Liz
August 14, 2011 at 3:32 pmWow, this is certainly blog worthy! I want to come to your house for dinner, Maris…everything must have been wonderful!!! Can’t wait to hear about the pies 🙂
Greg
August 14, 2011 at 3:11 pmThis is definitely blog worthy. I love his approach, but you’re right, when trying to put on your blog you can’t just say oh about so much….
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
August 14, 2011 at 3:02 pmThey look awesome!
And just the remoulade…I could eat that on anything! thanks for the recipe.
5 Star Foodie
August 14, 2011 at 2:35 pmThe crabcakes look excellent and just perfect with that spicy and flavorful remoulade sauce!
Erica
August 14, 2011 at 2:30 pmA man that cooks? Love! And cooks well? Love even more! Crab cakes are amazing. I started making them a few years back and cannot stop! Corn is such a fun add in.
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog)
August 14, 2011 at 1:24 pmI’ve never made crab cakes at home but you make me want to! They look delish. 🙂
Simply Life
August 14, 2011 at 1:14 pmwow! sounds like it was quite the dinner party!
Sawsan@chef in disguise
August 14, 2011 at 1:07 pmThose crab cakes look heavenly..and I love the blog-worthy rule 🙂
looking forward to hear all about the pies
polwig
August 14, 2011 at 12:53 pmAt least you were good enough to photograph them before they were gone. For me my family always stands over dish while I say “just few more pictures the lighting is totally wrong”. Crab cakes look amazing 😉
Shari @ Chicago Cuisine Critique
August 14, 2011 at 12:15 pmLooks great! I love crab cakes! 🙂
Barefoot Pregnant and In The Kitchen
August 14, 2011 at 12:12 pmThey look amazing! I’m not a huge fan of crab cakes… but these look so yummy I’m going to try this recipe out on my husband this week!
Courtney
August 14, 2011 at 12:10 pmI love crab cakes! You’re too funny about blog worthy.. I know what you mean. Sometimes I bring my camera to my families house or a cake with a slice out of it. They never seem to mind 🙂
Melissa@IWasBornToCook
August 14, 2011 at 12:09 pmOkay, he’s a keeper 🙂
And I totally get it – I never paid much attention to measurements until staring my blog. I always cooked “off the cuff”. Many times, I still do, but now I have to pay closer attention so I can document easier.
Sounds like a great dinner party!