Crab Cakes with Dill Tartar Sauce
“We didn’t grow up with fresh seafood, but our mom LOVED crab cakes,” recalled Trisha Yearwood, award-winning country music superstar and best-selling cookbook author. “After sampling them in coastal cities on various music tours, we came up with our own recipe. I always think of my mom when I make them.” The key for this recipe is to use fresh lump crabmeat.
Ingredients
For the tartar sauce:
- 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz./180 ml) mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s
- 3 Tbs. sweet relish
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
For the crab cakes:
- 2 Tbs. salted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 eggs
- 3 Tbs. sour cream
- 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
- 3 to 4 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 1 Tbs. capers, drained and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- Salt
- 1 lb. (500 g) lump crabmeat
- 3/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) plain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) vegetable oil
Directions
To make the tartar sauce, in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, relish, dill, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and the vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, make the crab cakes: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, sour cream, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, capers, celery and 1/2 tsp. salt. Gently fold in the crabmeat and bread crumbs. For each crab cake, turn out 1/3 cup (2 oz./60 g) of the crab mixture onto a plate. Using the palm of your hand, lightly flatten the top to make patties.
In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the oil until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Working in batches, cook the crab cakes, turning once, until brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt. Serve with lemon wedges and a dollop of tartar sauce. Makes 12 crab cakes.
Trisha tip: Try panko bread crumbs. They are Japanese bread crumbs made with crustless bread—a lighter version of traditional crumbs, which are made using the crusts.
Recipe courtesy of Trisha Yearwood