Crab Cakes

Makes 6 or more if smaller sized

Ingredients

For the crab cakes:
2 large eggs
2-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I went with Grey Poupon)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (I went with the classic Lea & Perrins)
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup finely diced celery, from one stalk
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 pound lump crab meat
1/2 cup panko (Progresso makes good panko-style bread crumbs.)
Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking  (I went with LouAna canola for a nice, extra-light flavor.)

For the tartar sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
1-1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

For the crab cakes:

(1) Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

(2) Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; gently fold mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 crab cakes (about ½ cup each) and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

(3) Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with canola oil. When oil is hot, place crab cakes in pan and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter.

(4) Serve immediately with tartar sauce or a squeeze of lemon.

For the tartar sauce:

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.