Crab Cakes

The first crab cake I ever ate was at Phillips Seafood House in Ocean City, Maryland. That was way back when I was still a teenager, but I still consider Phillips' crab cakes to be the best crab cake I've ever eaten.

Now that I'm in Florida, I still hanker for a good crab cake now and then, but I've yet to find one that rivals the one served in Phillips restaurants. Although the closest Phillips restaurant I can visit is in Myrtle Beach, I can still enjoy Phillips premium cakes. I've found their crab cakes in the frozen section of the seafood department in our local Publix supermarket, and I've also used their recipe to make my own at home on several occasions. I really appreciate that they're willing to share their recipes with the public.

Now, I present you with my favorite recipe for Phillips Premium Crab Cakes. What I really like about them is that the crab meat isn't overwhelmed by fillers or breadcrumbs. When you bite into this crab cake, you can really taste and appreciate the flavor of the crab. Developed by Phillips chef and general manager Todd VanGeluwe, this recipe gives a rich and buttery twist to the traditional crab cake.



PHILLIPS PREMIUM CRAB CAKES

Yield: Approximately 6 crab cakes

1/2 lb. Backfin Crab Meat *

1 lb. Jumbo Lump Crab Meat *

1/4 cup chopped parsley

3/4 cup Ritz crackers, crushed

1 large egg

3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3/4 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 tsp. seafood seasoning

3/4 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise


Combine the egg, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, seafood seasoning, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise in a bowl. Place the crab meat, parsley, and Ritz crackers into a separate bowl. Mix very lightly to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the crab mixture and combine lightly. Portion into 5-ounce cakes and broil, bake, or pan fry until browned on both sides.

You'll find more recipes at Phillips web site. Enjoy!

* NOTE * If you don't catch your own crabs or you don't enjoy spending an afternoon picking crab meat from the shell, you'll find Phillips crab meat (or some other brand) in the seafood department at your local market.