Crab Cakes are a fave of The Husband – and my Mom, actually – so I occasionally rock them out as a little surprise in the daily din repertoire. This recipe is fabulous because it really highlights the crab and has very little filler. 

It comes from Chrissy Teigen’s “Cravings” cookbook. I know she isn’t the most beloved of celebrities at the moment. In fact, The Husband was shocked that her cookbook wasn’t in my Goodwill pile. But, I’m hoping she learns the error of her ways and perhaps turns it around. And honestly, there are a lot of super yum recipes in the cookbook.

I served the crab cakes with Lemon Spaghettini and fresh arugula with lemon juice and olive oil.

Here are my helpful tips for successful crab cake making. I feel like this dish can be a little tricky. First of all, buy the best crab meat you can afford. The better the crab, the better the cake. Drain your crab meat and check it for shells.

I use panko breadcrumbs instead of just regular bread crumbs. I feel like panko was made for seafood, and I like their lightness and crunchiness. Be sure to not overmix the ingredients. They kind of just come together lightly. And mix with your hands. Seriously.

Whatever you do, be sure to form your crab cakes ahead and let them chill out for at least an hour in the refrigerator. This is extremely important as it helps them hold their shape while cooking. Honestly, I find if you leave them in there for a few hours it really helps them stay together.

Make sure your oil is hot before adding the cakes to the pan. Look for the ripple in the oil. One it has a nice ripple going, you are hot hot hot. If you are worried about handling large crab cakes, make them smaller – that way they are easier to flip! Once you add the cakes to the oil, don’t mess with them! Give it at least 4 minutes, but you may want to go a wee bit longer to ensure that golden crust. 

As always, if all the cakes don’t fit in your pan, use two pans or cook in batches. Overcrowding ruins food. The end. 

Be sure to drain your finished cakes on paper towels to get rid of excess oil.

Also, if you can’t find chives, the green tops of scallions work beautifully. Now get cooking!