I know I say everything is my favorite but seriously, when it comes to seafood appetizers crab cakes are on top of my list.

I just love love them!

Even when I was little I use to look forward to my mom making crabs, especially crab soup and spicy crab gravy.

I have not cooked any of these dishes but I might make them anytime soon. Well, its not that I have not tried (rather failed) making them but it is just not the same.

One reason could be , she used live crabs and I have not tried that yet! After all, fresh is the best.

I think crab cakes are the easiest of all the crab recipes  and also the reason for this being my first crab post.

They can be served as appetizers as well as a dish along with main course. Actually, they can be a full meal when served on a bed of rice pilaf with a little salad on the side.

For this, I bought one pound of lump crab meat. Try not to use canned crab meat as, after all , crab is the star of this dish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 6 pieces
Served: Hot

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 Tbsp green onions
2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning (DIY Recipe given below)
Other:
1 1/2 cup fresh crab meat
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs 
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
Salt to taste

Old Bay is a popular seasoning used for crab cakes and if you can’t get your hands on one you can make your own by putting together the following ingredients in an air tight jar and mix them thoroughly. (This is a close approximation)

2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons ground bay leaf
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons sweet paprika / red chili powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Method:

1. Whisk first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Add the crab meat and fold it in. Do not over-mix.
3. Stir in 3/4 cup bread crumbs, salt, and pepper and fold everything together.
4. Divide it into equal portions.You can use an ice cream scoop for this as well. Form each into 1″-thick patties and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes so that  they hold together firmly. If your mixture falls apart, keep it in the refrigerator for 30 more minutes and try again.
5. Coat them in bread crumbs generously before frying.
6. Heat vegetable oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry until golden brown and crisp, 2-3 minutes per side.
7. Serve them on top of lettuce or arrange them with some lemon wedges and have them immediately!