Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Tips For Crab Cakes

By Mike Smith

Everybody loves crab cakes and why not?! They are so tasty when made right. There are just a couple key things you have to pay attention to. Here are some tips on making delicious crab cakes:

Step 1 - Select the best quality crab meat you can. This is absolutely the most important thing you can do to make awesome crab cakes. If you start off with great crab meat, your crab cake is bound to taste delicious. Crab meat should have a seawater smell and be moist.

With that said, pick the grade that matches your budget and the style of the rest of your menu. For example, if your crab cakes are for a special party or dinner, using jumbo lump will give you an impressive plate presentation. If you`re making a crab cake for a picnic or lunch, however, you can utilize claw meat or special, allowing you to cut costs while still keeping that great flavor. This goes with other recipes as well, but especially when making crab cakes.

2. Handle the meat gently when incorporating it into your recipe to ensure that the large lumps and flakes are retained " crab meat is very delicate and breaks apart easily.

Step 3: Just like any recipe, the better the ingredients that you put in, the better your end product will be. To get the best crab cake, use the best quality ingredients " fresh parlsey instead of dried, fresh lemon juice instead of bottled. Go fresh when you can...you will be happy you did.

When you are shaping the crab mixture into cakes, again be gentle and use your hands to gently press and shape the cakes. One trick is to add the largest lumps of meat last so you don't break the lumps. Follow this and you will be happy with your crab cakes.

Once you have portioned out your crab cakes, it is best to allow them to sit in the refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) for at least an hour...the longer the better. This will really bring all the excellent flavors together and allow the ingredients to "set" and bind together. This will also help keep your crab cakes from breaking apart while frying or baking. That's the last thing you want is to have the crab cake break apart after frying. It'll keep your crab cakes from breaking apart and their presentation will be awesome.

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