Recipes: Chef Ian Knauer’s Great Grandmother’s Crab Cakes

The Farm Cooking School‘s Chef Ian Knauer: My great grandmother’s crab cakes have been on the docket lately. The Stockton Inn has them on their menu at the moment, and they’ve proven to be very popular. My great grandmother bought the recipe for $50 from a black woman who sold her crab cakes on the street in Baltimore — this would have been in the 1930’s or so. They are the best I’ve ever had. Gourmet magazine published the recipe a few years back. Here’s the link. Enjoy my great grandmother’s crab cakes!

Chef Ian Knauer’s Great Grandmother’s Crab Cakes

Servings:  2 servings (4 crab cakes)

Ingredients:

• 2 slices firm white sandwich bread
• 1/2 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
• 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• accompanying lemon wedges

Instructions:

1. Tear bread into small pieces into a bowl with crab.
2. Add mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tbsp egg (discard remainder) and a pinch of salt.
3. Mix together gently but thoroughly, then form into 4 patties (about 3 inches in diameter).
4. Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook crab cakes, turning once, until golden brown, about 6 minutes total.
5. Accompany with lemon wedges. Serve with french fries and/or baby greens tossed with lemon vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Chef Ian Knauer’s Great Grandmother’s Crab Cakes (photo by Romulo Yanes via www.epicurious.com)