I used to make crab cakes using all kinds of herbs and vegetables for added flavor and texture, but the ultrasimple crab cakes Peter and I enjoyed on a recent trip to the Maryland shore convinced me that in this case, less is more. I don’t add much more to this dressed-down version than is needed to hold the cakes together, so the only time to make them is when crab is in season and at the peak of freshness.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 cakes / serves 3 to 6

　　1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over and shells removed

　　1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (see Know-how, page 134)

　　3 tablespoons your favorite or Homemade Mayonnaise (page 280)

　　1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

　　1 teaspoon sea salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　Pinch of ground cayenne pepper

　　1 tablespoon unsalted butter

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　1 lemon or lime, cut into wedges

　　

Step 1

Combine the crab, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, parsley, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and stir just to mix, leaving the crab in large, unbroken lumps. Form the mixture into six 3-inch patties. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, until firm.

　　

Step 2

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until sizzling hot (see Know-how, page 100). Add the crab cakes and cook for about 3 minutes per side, turning only once, until golden brown. Remove from the skillet, drain on a brown paper bag, and serve hot with lemon or lime wedges to squeeze over the cakes.

　　

Simple Lump Crab Salad

Step 3

Place 1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat in a medium bowl and pick through the meat to remove any remaining bits of shell, taking care not to break apart the large lumps in the process. Add the juice of 1 lime; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint; 2 tablespoons your favorite or Homemade Mayonnaise (page 280) or extra-virgin olive oil; 1 cored, seeded, and minced jalapeño pepper; and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir gently to mix. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve, or for up to 2 days.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.