THE BEST CRAB CAKES

The Best Crab Cakes image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories appetizer

Time 1h10m

Yield 8 crab cakes

Number Of Ingredients 15

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2 pounds fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 1/2 cups panko
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice and zest of 1 lemon, plus more lemon wedges for serving
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped dill pickles (about 2 whole pickles)
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 tablespoon minced chives
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
For the crab cakes: Gently fold together the crabmeat, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, chives, Dijon mustard, seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and the juice and zest of one lemon in a large bowl. Refrigerate the crab mixture for 15 minutes to firm up; this allows the breadcrumbs to absorb some of the liquid, helping the crab cakes bind together.
Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, dill pickles, capers, chives, zest and juice of 1 lemon in a medium bowl and mix until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Scoop heaping half cups of the crab mixture and pat into 2 1/2-inch wide patties. Lightly press them together so they do not fall apart while cooking. You should have 8 patties.
Heat 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crab cakes to the pan and cook until golden, about 2 minutes, then flip using a flat metal spatula. Continue to cook until lightly golden, about 1 1/2 minutes then transfer the pan to the oven. Cook until the crab cakes are completely heated through, about 10 minutes.
Serve the crab cakes with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges.