Crab Cakes

Summer is here... maybe not officially, but once the temps here in Florida hit 90, I consider it summer. With summer comes my cravings for really fresh and bright foods, like fresh salsa and anything with lemon, and I remembered a recipe from a weekend at the beach during my college days... Crab Cakes!

My roommate Ashley had us all down at her dad's place in Boca Grande, and he picked up some fresh crab for us to take out of the shell and make crab cakes. This recipe is similar to that one, but certainly a lot faster, since I used canned crab meat.

Ingredients:
1 Can Fancy Lump Crab Meat
2 Tbsp Panko (breadcrumbs)
1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 Yellow onion, finely chopped and sauteed
2 cloves minced garlic, sauteed
1 egg
dash of Tabasco
Olive Oil
2 Lemons, one juiced and one sliced

First, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Saute the chopped onions and garlic in a Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. You want to keep it on medium heat, as we will be using the skillet later for the crab cakes once they are made.  While these are cooking, combine the crab, panko, lemon juice, Tabasco, egg, and Old Bay in a bowl. Once the onions and garlic are almost clear, pour them into the bowl as well. Mix well, and then use your hands to make palm-sized crab cakes, and place in an oven-safe pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops begin to look golden brown:

While the crab cakes are baking, add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to the skillet and warm to medium heat. My favorite part of crab cakes are the crispy outsides, but I don't like to use all the oil it takes to get them crispy, so I bake them first. Once they look a little golden, take them out of the oven and return them to the skillet. Pan fry until the crab cakes until they reach your desired crispness.

Don't worry if they aren't pretty little round crab cakes. They are meant to be rustic! If you want them more shapely, add more panko or breadcrumbs. I just don't like a lot of filler with mine.... the more crab, the better! Plate them with a little parsley and slices of fresh lemon to really highlight the fresh flavors. Hope you enjoy!