Pan-Fried Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli
Lump crab bound with just enough panko to hold its shape, fried hard in a skillet until the crust is the only thing between you and the crab.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Written
Method
-
Fold the crabmeat, panko, ¼ cup mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Old Bay, and chives together gently, keeping the lumps of crab as intact as possible.
-
Season with salt and pepper, then chill the mixture 15 minutes, until firm enough to shape.
-
Pack into 8 cakes about 1 inch thick, pressing just enough to hold together.
-
Whisk the remaining mayonnaise with the garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice, then season with salt.
-
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the cakes until deep golden brown on the first side, about 4 minutes.
-
Flip and fry the second side until golden and the centers are hot all the way through, about 3 minutes more.
-
Serve hot with the lemon aioli spooned over or alongside.
Notes
The crab does the work here, not the binder — go heavier on panko and you’ll taste bread crumbs instead of the ocean. Chilling the mixture before it hits the pan is what keeps the cakes from falling apart on the flip; skip it and you’ll be fighting them with two spatulas.
Canned lump crab works fine if fresh isn’t around, just pat it dry first so the mixture doesn’t turn watery. Piled onto a bun with shredded lettuce, these make a fair crab cake sandwich.