The Best Crab Cakes

By bargemun

Prep. 20 plus chilling
cook about 6 minutes
makes 4 main dish servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1 pound lump crab meat
• 10 saltine crackers crushed to coarse crumbs (1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoon butter or margarine

Preparation

Step 1

1. Prepare Crab Cakes: In medium bowl, stir mayonnaise, lemon peel, mustard, salt, and pepper until blended. Pick through crab meat to remove any pieces of shell; avoid breaking up meat. Gently stir crab meat and cracker crumbs into mayonnaise mixture.
2.Onto waxed paper-lined cookie sheet, scoop crab mixture by scant 1/2 into 8 mounds; shape each into 3-inch round. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 2 hours
3. In nonstick 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add crab cakes to skillet and cook 6-8 minutes or until heated through and golden on both sides,turning over once. You can serve it with lemon wedges and tartar sauce