Nurturing my inner... a thousand words

Today's challenge, should I wish to accept it (and I will because it's mine): to write about a recipe, but give you just one picture.  Oh yes, just the one!  Can it be done?  Am I really up to it?  Well, I figure if the age old saying holds true, the one picture I show you will be worth a thousand words.  (Or at least 500.)

Maryland Crab Cakes

1 lb jumbo lump crab (I got mine at BJ's Wholesale Club - $23.00)
2 tbsps plain bread crumbs (and more for the outside later)
4 tbsps mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsps fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

I actually made these for Christmas Eve dinner for my family.  It turned out to be the Feast of the One Fish, instead of the traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes.  (Hey, these are hard economic times.)

Take the crab out of the container, loosen it up gently and check for any pieces of shell.  Discard the shell fragments, because no one wants to crunch down on one of those by mistake.  That can really ruin the entire experience.

I believe the ingredients of a crab cake should be somewhat traditional, but I do NOT like adding red bell pepper or an excess of breading.  The pepper ruins them, if you ask me, because it totally overpowers all the other flavors.  And if I wanted a bunch of extra filler in there instead of crab, then I guess I'd order a bread cake instead.  A crab cake should be mostly crab, in large pieces so you can identify it, with just a bit of binder to hold it all together.  If you're going to make the effort to cook crab cakes, you really should do it up right.

In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the crab.  When everything is well incorporated, gently fold in the crab so you don't break it up too much.  I like large pieces of crab in my cake and not a lot of filler, so I went with the jumbo lump, but you could do half jumbo and half regular crab if you want to go a little lighter on the wallet.  Though really, I got about nine cakes from one batch, so if you divide that up by the cost of the one pound of jumbo lump crab you used, that's only $2.50 per crab cake!  We each had two - so $5.00 per person.  I have paid $23.00 (plus tax and tip!) for a one serving two crab cake dinner at a local favorite restaurant.  An $18.00 savings by making them at home?  Now that's something I can get behind!

Take out a flat plate and sprinkle some plain breadcrumbs on it.  Form the crab mixture into pucks about the size of your palm or a small hamburger.  Set down into the crumbs and lightly pat down on each side to coat.  Place on a plate and put into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to an hour so they firm up.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  On your stove top, heat up a saute pan to medium, add some butter and put a few crab cakes down into the melted butter.  Gently fry on one side for a few minutes or until they form a nice, golden crust.  Carefully, and quickly so they don't fall apart, flip them over and do the same on the other sides.  Take them out of the pan and put them on a foil lined baking sheet.  Repeat until all crab cakes have been properly crusted.

Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until warm on the inside.  You'll see them bubble a bit when hot.  Take them out and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and tarter sauce if you prefer.

Gorgeous! See, who needs more than one picture.
That says it all to me!

My mom said these were the best crab cakes she's ever had; equally as good as ones she's eaten in some great restaurants throughout the famous blue crab cake making state of Maryland.  My mom is particular, so that compliment is bigger than you might think.  I must be on to something if she was impressed.

I think my word quota is probably up by now.  So I'll just let the picture keep on talking...