This recipe comes via our lovely friend, Marianne, who’s originally from Delaware and now lives in LA. If that makes sense. (In fact, I don’t think she’s ever lived in Maryland at all, but never mind.)
It originates with Shirley Phillips, founder of Phillips Seafood Restaurants in Maryland, who developed it in 1956. I’ve played with it a little bit, and here’s what I got:—
1 lb. lump crab meat — the best you can get
1 egg
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning*
½ cup crushed ritz crackers
1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for crab meat. Then, gently fold in the crab meat, being careful not to break the lumps.
2. Shape into cakes and pan-fry or bake at 190°C for 12-15 minutes, or until evenly brown on each side.
Dips (these are mine, all mine!!):
Mix a cup of good mayonnaise (if I’m not making my own, I use the one from Delouis Fils) with two teaspoons of chipotle paste.
(To make the chipotle paste, take one tin of chipotle chillies in adobo sauce and woosh it in the blender. You can get the chillies from The Cool Chile Company, whose details are listed in my Little Black Book.)
You can also mix a cup of good mayonnaise with one to two tablespoons of fresh grated horseradish (you can get this from farmers’ markets or The English Provender), some chopped cornichons, a few rinsed capers and a splash of lemon juice.
* Old Bay Seasoning is very popular in America and widely available there. Here in the UK, however, it’s not so easy to find. But you can buy it at Partridges (who are also in my Little Black Book).
