Crazy-good and Gulf fresh, we pinched this recipe from the East Coast

Maryland may have laid claim to the classic crabcake, but fresh, Texas Gulf seafood makes this version meaty and delicious.

Pan-frying the patties keeps them crispy and light. Sure, this recipe requires a little sweat equity, but these days that’s not exactly in short supply.

The key to keeping these delicate crabcakes from falling apart during the cooking process is refrigeration. Store the uncooked patties for three hours in the refrigerator before pan-frying them.

Crabcakes

Photo by Stuart Villanueva

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds lump crabmeat
½ cup minced green onions
½ cup roasted red peppers, diced
½ cup mayonnaise
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon capers
1.5 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2.5 cups panko breadcrumbs, divided
Vegetable oil

Rémoulade Sauce

INGREDIENTS
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of cornichons, diced small
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon coarse-grain mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Photo by Alicia Cahill

DIRECTIONS
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the crabmeat, green onions, peppers, mayonnaise, egg yolks, capers, cayenne, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of the breadcrumbs and mix well.

Hand form the mixture into 4- to 5-inch cakes; you’ll end up with about 16 cakes. Pour the remaining breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl and coat the crabcakes. Place on the baking sheet, cover and refrigerate until firm, 3 hours.

Meanwhile, combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high. Fry the crabcakes until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Serve with rémoulade sauce.