All Saints Summer Supper Maryland Crab Cakes

I grew up in southern maryland, and attended all saints episcopal church, where my parents are still members. Every summer (1st weekend in august) the church hosts its summer supper fundraiser, which i consider a southern maryland tradition, since folks come from all over to eat some great food (ham, fried chicken, green beans, fresh homemade bread, rolls, and desserts, and, oh yeah.. Crabcakes! This is an adaptation of the recipe used at the supper, so that the yield is something reasonable for a family dinner (as opposed to the hundreds of crabcakes made by the fine folks at all saints!). Of course, i have added my own touches over the years, but it's still pure maryland crabcake"."

Steps

Pick through your crab.

There are always shells missed at the plant.

Mix all ingredients except the breadcrumbs.

You can beat the egg before adding , but i scramble it a bit in the bowl then use my hands to get a consistent mix.

Add the breadcrumbs a bit at a time.

The goal is to have just enough to bind the mix into patties , but not too much !.

Gently form the mixture into patties , about 31 / 2 inches in diameter , and 3 / 4 inch thick.

At this stage , you can refrigerate them.

Doing so allows a little bit of flavor blending to occur.

Get a cast iron skillet hot , and melt some olive oil , then butter in the pan.

Saute over medium heat , flipping once , so that both side are a golden brown.

Optional step: after you flip once , add some red wine to the pan , it adds a light glaze to the cakes , and a nice flavor !.

Serve with tartar sauce , as entree , appetizer , or sandwich.

Ingredients

crabmeat, egg, worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, dried parsley, salt, black pepper, old bay seasoning, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise