Crabby Pilot's Crab Cakes

All lump, minimal filler. These are the crab cakes that got me invited back to every crew cookout.

Prep

20 min

Cook

12 min

Serves

Crabby Pilot

Professional pilot & seafood enthusiast

✈️

The Story

“I've been tweaking this recipe for years. The secret is restraint — let the crab be the star. Too much bread, too much mayo, and you've got a bread cake with crab flavoring. We're not doing that here.”

Ingredients

Crab Cakes

1 lb jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg, beaten
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/4 cup crushed saltine crackers (about 6 crackers)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne

For Cooking

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Lemon wedges for serving
Remoulade or tartar sauce

Instructions

In a large bowl, gently combine mayo, egg, Dijon, Worcestershire, Old Bay, lemon juice, and cayenne.

Fold in crushed crackers and parsley.

Very gently fold in the crabmeat, being careful not to break up the lumps. This is the key — don't overwork it.

💡

Use your hands, not a spoon. Feel for any shell fragments as you go.

Form into 6 cakes, about 3 inches across. Place on a sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

💡

Chilling firms them up so they don't fall apart in the pan.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter foams, add the crab cakes.

Cook 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown and heated through. Don't press them down.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges and remoulade.

📝 Crabby's Notes

•Broiling works too — 6 inches from the element, 8–10 minutes, no flipping needed.
•Use the best crabmeat you can find. Fresh is always better than pasteurized.

🍷