Need inspiration? Come in and try our crab cakes before making your own!
Labor Day is fast approaching! On Monday, September 5, our nation will take the day to reflect on the hard work and achievements of the American worker throughout our history. Pay homage to our accomplishments with a little labor of love and make a delicious Maryland-style crab cake. These tasty and filling creations are a great way to feed the family or a crowd and because you control the portions, it’s easy to make the right amount. Take the work out of the assembly and follow these step by step instructions:
Start fresh
Place your rinsed, lump crab meat in a bowl. With clean hands, pick through your meat, separating out the shells.
Keep it together
Unlike most foods, crab cakes are best when they are lumpy. Crab meat lumps are very brittle though, so try and limit how frequently you move them around. To do this, combine all ingredients before you add in the crab meat.
Make it unique
The balance of spices is totally up to you and many recipes are quickly accessible online. In general though, most include breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, mayo and lemon. For one pound of meat, try adding ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon pepper, 2 cloves garlic, minced, Juice of one half lemon and ¼ cup breadcrumbs. Make your cakes unique by trying a dash of celery seed, Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard seed, or cayenne pepper. After mixing together whichever spices you prefer, fold in the crab meat, making sure to keep as mean lumps intact.
Perfect form
Using a hands-on approach is the best way to form crab cakes. With clean hands, take a palm-sized portion of crab mixture and pat into a circular cake. Make sure to press in the sides so the cake keeps its form once cooked. Place the formed cakes on a plate. One pound of crabmeat typically makes between four and six cakes, but the size can vary based on your need. For a lighter approach or to make your mixture go farther, try forming smaller cakes and serve as an appetizer.
Turn it up
There are many different ways to cook a crab cake and the best way to find your favorite is to try them all! For a healthier option, cook your crab cakes in the oven. Lay down foil on a pan dust with non-stick spray for easy removal. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 for 25 minutes. If your cakes are smaller than 4-6 per pound of meat, cook them for less time. Using your stove-top is another great way to cook these cakes. Heat a skillet with a light coating of oil and then add the cakes. Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes, carefully turning in-between.
Are You Hungry Yet? Come Visit Us At Basta Pasta Today!
In 2004, Basta Pasta opened its doors to the public, and ever since has maintained the image and experience of casual Italian dining. In addition to fresh, delicious ingredients and recipes, the restaurant strives to uphold expert, attentive, and cordial service for its customers. Our Timonium location also features plenty of rooms for private parties and events. Enjoy a taste of Italy with hearty pasta dishes, endless salad and breadsticks, and fine wines right here in your hometown. For more information, click around our website.
Want to learn more about our wine selection? Need to get in touch with one of our locations? Here is some basic contact information for both:
- Fallston Location- 2745 Fallston Road
- 410-692-5200
- Online Contact Page
- Timonium Location- 60 W Timonium Road
- 410-308-0838
- Online Contact Page
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