Ruth's Chris-Style Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Description
An easy copycat: almost all sweet jumbo lump crab, barely any filler, pan-seared in butter and finished with lemon-garlic butter sauce.
Ingredients
For the crab cakes
- 1 lb crab meat, jumbo lump, drained
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, + 1 tbsp olive oil, for searing
For the lemon-garlic butter
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Spread the crab on a tray and pick out any shell, keeping the lumps whole.
- Whisk the egg smooth, then whisk in mayo, Dijon, Worcestershire, Old Bay, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper into a loose, creamy binder.
- Add the crab and panko; fold gently just until combined. Don't overmix.
- Cover and chill 30 minutes.
- Divide into 6 portions and pat into 1-inch-thick cakes.
- Heat butter and oil over medium. Sear cakes ~4 minutes per side until deeply golden; transfer to paper towels.
- Wipe the pan, melt butter, cook garlic until fragrant, then stir in lemon juice and parsley.
- Spoon the warm butter over the cakes and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Baking sheet or tray (for picking the crab)
- Nonstick or cast-iron skillet
- Thin fish spatula (for flipping)
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Notes
The mixture is meant to be wet and barely bound — chilling is what makes it work, so don't skip it. For appetizers, shape into 12 smaller cakes and reduce sear time slightly. Estimated 290 calories per cake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 276kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 16gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 965mgPotassium: 213mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 662IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg