Description
Delightfully crispy crab cakes made with jumbo lump crab meat, seasoned perfectly with Old Bay and fresh herbs, served on toasted brioche buns with a zesty homemade remoulade sauce. This sandwich is a true taste of the Chesapeake Bay, perfect for seafood lovers.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crab Cakes:
- 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
- 2/3 cup Ritz cracker crumbs (about 16–18 crackers)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 small shallot, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce (like Crystal brand)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the Remoulade Sauce:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 small shallot, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons finely minced cornichons or gherkins
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
For the Sandwich:
- 4 brioche buns, toasted
- 1 ripe tomato, sliced
- 4–8 butter lettuce leaves
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Make the remoulade sauce: Combine all remoulade sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Make cracker crumbs: Crush crackers in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin or pulse in a food processor until finely crumbled.
- Mix crab cakes: In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, egg, shallot, tarragon, chives, hot sauce, lemon zest, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Gently fold in crab meat and cracker crumbs. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Form patties: Divide crab mixture into 4 portions and form into 4 patties about 4″ in diameter. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Fry crab cakes: Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. Gently add 2-3 crab cakes to the pan (avoid overcrowding). Fry for 2-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Use a fish spatula to gently flip crab cakes. Transfer to a plate and squeeze lemon wedges over the top.
- Assemble sandwiches: Layer warm crab cakes on toasted brioche buns with remoulade, butter lettuce, and sliced tomato. Serve with more remoulade and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Make sure to handle the crab meat gently to keep the lumps intact for a better texture.
- You can prepare the remoulade a day in advance for enhanced flavor.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Sandwiches
- Method: Pan-Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 525
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 120mg