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Really simple crabcakes

by Jeanne Horak on March 15, 2011 29 Comments in Fish, Product reviews

Crabcakes title © J Horak-Druiff 2011



[Thanks to all of you who have been sending your good wishes and asking after my dad – it means more to me than you know.  Things have been up and down.  Immedately following the hip surgery last Wednesday night he went to ICU where he remains.  As a result of the antibiotics he has had a yeast infection in his mouth and has not really started eating or drinking again, other than the minuscule amounts of protein shake that the nurses manage to feed him every hour (25 ml or so – which is a tot measure) and the odd spoon of chocolate mousse that my sister can persuade him to eat.  It’s a real worry as he is not strong enough to get up and start rehabilitation, and he won’t get strong enough until he starts eating – but he seems singularly and frustratingly disinterested in doing that. So we wait and we hope and we pray.]

Living in a city like London means having a fairly constant tream of guests on your doorstep.  Not dinner guests or party guests as much as houseguests – friends from back home (or abroad) who are passing through London on their way to somewhere else; or who are using London as their base from which to explore Europe; or who simply want to come and see London (and me, I hope!).  I love having houseguests.  I love how sharing a house can make you comfortable around each other in a way that a sharing a table in a restaurant never can.  I love sitting in our conservatory late into the night, eating, drinking and talking.  I love showing visitors around London – the look on their faces when they emerge from Westminster Tube station to be confronted by the iconic bell tower of the Houses of Parliament; the joy of a ride on the London Eye; or the awe that St Paul’s Cathedral inspires in all those who visit it.  Even more, I love showing people my favourite off-the-tourist-trail gems, like the atmospheric and Byzantine Westminster Cathedral (not the Abbey – the Catholic cathedral in Victoria); the view from the top of Primrose Hill on a clear day; or the quirky shops along Columbia Road.

But all this pales into insignificance beside their look of anticipation when I utter these few magical words:

Let’s go to the supermarket.

Maybe my guests are particularly weird (!), but this one phrase makes their eyes light up with excitement more than the promise of any of London’s other delights.  I have had one guest who was game to go and trawl the aisles of our nearby 24-hour Sainsbury’s at about midnight, for the sheer novelty of it all.  And I have recently had guests who were willing to forego shopping in the West End or on Oxford Street in exchange for an hour in the giant Tesco near my house.  And I cannot tell a lie – in a foreign country, I behave in exactly the same way.  I remember nearly hyperventilating with excitement when I visited my first Trader Joe’s in San Diego in 2005 (and the checkout girl looked at me in amazement when I got excited about signing on my first electronic signature capture screen!).  In Chihuahua, Mexico, on the same trip we had the surreal experience of having the expensive tequila we selected removed from the locked display cabinet and taken to the checkout under armed guard (once we left the store though, we were on your own!!).  And it will take a while before my nose forgets the pungent and unmistakeable olfactory atmosphere of an entire section devoted to bacalaho in a Faro supermarket.

Each of these little vignettes, although not glamorous or particularly highbrow, tells you something about the country you are visiting.  A trip to the local supermarket tells you what the people like to eat (witness the entire aisle devoted to bean products in a Mexican supermarket); it tells you what is grown in abundance locally (think abundant cherimoyas on Spain’s Costa Tropical); and the friendliness of the checkout staff provides a microcosm of regional character.  I have for years defended my dirty little foreign supermarket habit by describing it as an authentic cultural experience – and it truly is.

Crabcakes2

It was on one of these little outings in the USA that I picked up my first tin of Old Bay Seasoning.  It’s a herb and spice blend named after the Old Bay Line, a passenger ship line that plied the waters of the Chesapeake Bay from Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia.  It is still produced in the Chespeake Bay area in Maryland where it was developed by German immigrant Gustav Brunn in the 1940s.  It is said that, at that time, crabs were so plentiful that bars in Baltimore, Maryland, offered them free and salty seasonings like Old Bay were created to encourage patrons to purchase more beverages.  For a few years now, I’ve been bringing back a couple of tins when I visit the US – it’s superb on crab, prawns, chicken, potatoes, vegetables.  But now I no longer have to do that because I am thrilled to have discovered a company called American Soda that imports it for me!

If you are a homesick American in the UK, craving treats from home and you have not yet discovered it, the American Soda site is going to be your new favourite place on the web.  A browse through their stock on the site revealed (unsurprisingly!) a host of American soda brands (think Mello Yellow, Dr Pepper and Mountain Dew) and sweet candy treats (Hershey’s Kisses of all flavours, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Tootsie Rolls, Altoids, Lifesavers and more).  Even more fascinating is their selection of baking goodies (Betty Crocker and Duncan Hine cake mixes & frosting, a plethora of choc and other flavour chips for baking; and lots of marshmallow fluff which remains a mystery to me).  But my favourite is defintely the savoury foods – a plethora of hot sauces, Miracle Whip mayo, Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese, graham crackers, Krisco shortening, dill pickle spears and (to my utter delight) Old Bay Seasoning in its cheery yellow tin. Hurrah!

The nice people at American Soda have very kindly sent me a couple of free samples of their goodies to try and of course there was no competition as to which product I would use first.  Although I have often used Old Bay Seasoning on chicken, I have never used it on the thing it was originally designed to season:  crab.  So this weekend I dusted off my frying pan and decided to have my first go at crabcakes.  The recipe is cobbled together from various recipes I have found on the Web (there is a recipe on the tin itself but no indication as to hoe many crabcakes it makes, so I didn’t use that one) and despite my inexperienced hand at crabcakes, these turned out perfectly.  To make sure that the Old Bay flavour really comes through, I not only added it to the crab mix but also to the flour used to coat the cakes and I loved the spicy edge this imparted.  Nick didn’t even add much Tabasco sauce, which counts as a bona fide culinary miracle in our house 😉  Stay tuned to see how I use my Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips and my Vlasic Kosher dill pickle spears.

 

CrabcakesOldBay

CRABCAKES (serves 4 – makes about 12 cakes)

Ingredients:

500g crabmeat (ideally, fresh or frozen but I used tinned white crabmeat)
250g mashed potato
6 spring onions, chopped (green bits included)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp English mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
4 Tbsp good mayonnaise
1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (for S African readers, substitute Robertsons chicken spice)
4 heaped Tbsp plain flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup toasted breadcrumbs
Canola or sunflower oil for frying

Method:

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan (you can use the same one later for the crabcakes) and sautée the spring onions and garlic until soft but do not brown them.  Remove from heat.

Mix the flour with 1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning.  Place the seasoned flour, the beaten egg, and the breadcrumbs in three SEPARATE wide, shallow bowls.  You will need to dip the cakes in each of them, so make sure there is space for the cake and your fingers to fit!

In a mixing bowl, mash together the crabmeat, mashed potato onions and garlic, mustard, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning. Form about 2 heaped Tbsp of the mix at a time in your hands to make a cake (roll into a ball between your palms, then flatten slightly).

Dip each cake into the egg, then the flour, then the breadcrumbs to coat.  Don’t worry too much about whether there is 100% coverage and resist the urge to re-dip!  Place the cakes on a plate and when they have all been coated, place in the fridge to chill for 40 minutes.

When the cakes are chilled, heat a shallow layer of oil in your frying pan until it sizzles when a breadcrumb is dripped into it.  Place the crabcakes carefully into the pan in a single layer (you may have to work in batches) and cover with a splatter screen.  Allow to cook for about 4-5 minutes or until they are turning a lovely golden brown on the bottom.  Turn over carefully with a spatula and repeat on the other side.  If working in batches, place the cooked cakes on some kitchen paper to drain and keep warm while you do the next batch.

I served mine piping hot with a mixed salad and some sweet chilli sauce, but you could also posh them up with some wedges of lime and fresh coriander; or a wasabi mayo.

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  1. Kitchen Butterfly says

    March 15, 2011 at 7:43 pm

    Sorry to hear about your dad Jeanne, I hope he gets better soon. Take it easy.
    I just got back from my first ever jaunt to the States and someone suggested getting Old Bay seasoning for my shopping list. Alas, it was a bit too late…..
    Take care

    Reply
  2. nina says

    March 15, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    I wonder what it is that is so appealing about fish/crab cakes. I can never have enough recipes, so thx for sharing.
    I love that knife!!

    Reply
  3. Meeta says

    March 15, 2011 at 8:02 pm

    That with the Tesco was Jamie and me right? Thought so. I love visiting supermarkets in foreign countries too. One learns so much about the way a country eats and ticks. Love these crabcakes – have not had one in years!

    Reply
  4. barbara says

    March 15, 2011 at 10:04 pm

    Craving crab cakes now. I love to visit super markets too when I’m in another country. Hope your dad is eating soon. I’ve had that yeast mouth infection too as a result of chemo. It’s not fun.

    Reply
  5. tricia72 says

    March 15, 2011 at 10:35 pm

    Thanks for the recipe..love crab cakes.

    Reply
  6. Soma says

    March 15, 2011 at 11:20 pm

    and living in US, I have NOT used the Old Bay yet 🙁 Love crabcakes, love markets and Love late night chit chats. I had been to London years ago, when I was in eight grade, that makes me sound like a fossil. should plan with my kids now.
    prayers for your dad Jeanne. Poor old soul.

    Reply
  7. Kalynskitchen says

    March 16, 2011 at 1:08 am

    I do hope your dad will soon be feeling better, eating, and getting stronger. Such a worry.
    The crab cakes look fantastic. I have Old Bay but rarely use it and now I’m wondering why not.

    Reply
  8. Herschelian says

    March 16, 2011 at 2:30 am

    We obviously share a dirty little supermarket habit! It’s one of the first places I visit in any foreign country, and here in China I am feeding my habit every week. Chinese supermarkets are ….amazing, noisy, different, fascinating and it will take years before I even understand what some of the products are!
    Hoping you’re dad will start to improve soon. Poor chap, he’s had a shock, a major op, and now a mouth infection, no wonder he doesn’t feel much like eating. Fingers crossed you’ll have better news very soon.

    Reply
  9. Diane says

    March 16, 2011 at 3:34 am

    Jeanne–you silly girl! When run out of Old Bay, let me know, and I’ll send you some!
    Thinking of you!!
    xo

    Reply
  10. Mandy - The Complete Cook Book says

    March 16, 2011 at 5:11 am

    Your crab cakes look outstanding – I love crab meat. More than your crab cakes, I LOVE your bone handled fish knife and fork!
    🙂 Mandy

    Reply
  11. Gill says

    March 16, 2011 at 5:23 am

    Hope your Dad gets better soon! You’ve been in my thoughts and prayers xx
    P.S I share the dirty little shopping habit… Sainsbury’s is close to heaven!

    Reply
  12. Firefly says

    March 16, 2011 at 6:23 am

    Those crab cakes look devine with that sweet chili sauce next to it in the plate.

    Reply
  13. Sous Chef says

    March 16, 2011 at 7:16 am

    I have a tin of crab in the cupboard, guess whats for supper tonight? 🙂

    Reply
  14. Jamie says

    March 16, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    Oooh and next time we want MORE than an hour in Tesco’s, right Meeta? And a late night run to Sainsbury’s! Yes! Oh I love grocery stores in foreign countries. They are a treasure trove of the local and the fascinating! And I can tell you that we run to the grocery store each time we visit the US and always bring back a can of Old Bay. Love the stuff! And crab cakes? My favorite thing!!! I’ll definitely be trying this recipe!
    And hugs to you and thoughts for your dad… xoxo

    Reply
  15. Jaynerly says

    March 16, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Oh I love this! I love supermarkets in other countries- my long suffering husband has even hired a car especially to take me to one in Italy! I also love Old Bay Seasoning! I bought a massive tin of it from a supermarket in Antigua!
    Wishing your father well.

    Reply
  16. bellini says

    March 16, 2011 at 1:38 pm

    When in San Francisco Giz and I made our way to our very first Trader Joe’s where I brought home some pumpkin pancake batter. In Cancun Mexico we went to Wal Mart where they had the most fabilous bakery with sweet rolls and loaves of every shape, size and colour and milk in tetra packs.

    Reply
  17. Ailbhe says

    March 16, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    Ha glad to see all those here who love checking out foreign supermarkets like I do. It’s such a thrill isn’t it and you always find something worthwhile. Tasty looking crab cakes – one of my favourite dishes for crab (I mostly use tinned crabmeat for them – fresh is for a salad or onto buttered toast) Delicious photos as always

    Reply
  18. Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says

    March 16, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    I love Old Bay and have a friend that brings it back for me. Now she will not need to, probably to her relief as it is not that common in her part of Texas!
    Sending all the best for your Dad. xx

    Reply
  19. Erin says

    March 16, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    Lol! Whenever I visit my best friend up in Ruddington I can’t wait to get to the Co-op for roasted chicken and thyme flavored crisps, potted meat and to see if anyone will ask me if I’m from Glasgow again (they always do). Then its off to Nottingham for a visit to Boots for balsam Kleenex.
    So sorry about what is going on with your dad, it isn’t easy. Big hugs to you and I’m thinking about you both.

    Reply
  20. Juliet says

    March 16, 2011 at 4:51 pm

    What a find! They stock Fresca (you’re probably too young to remember when Tab & Fresca were the ONLY low-calorie cold drinks). Friends are always willing to transport Old Bay Seasoning but cans of cold drink are a bigger ask.
    Hope your Dad starts to improve – if you have doubts about any thing ask if you can talk directly to his consultant – I found that they will be very direct & in my case just said, “Get on a plane”.

    Reply
  21. Maria @ Scandifoodie says

    March 16, 2011 at 6:37 pm

    I hope your dad is getting better!
    These crab cakes look delicious and perfectly golden 🙂

    Reply
  22. Colleen says

    March 17, 2011 at 7:38 am

    Continued prayers for your dad and for all of you, his family! Think of you constantly this side. Oh! I so identify with that supermarket secret hehe….and a recent guest from France also asked to be taken to the supermarket when she was visiting here. It was such a rushed visit. Wish we could have spent more hours there! This is such a fabulous post. Now I shall have to be trying out crab cakes. I dont eat crab – eating muddy awful ones as a youngster finished it for me. But I think I might be willing to try this…GO ME!!! Love you sweetie xx PS I would love to try out all those American ingredients too! They always fascinate me. And Fluff??? Ooooh it was a staple in our house when the kids were young. Don was ordered to bring back a bottle or two each time he went Stateside on business hehe..one kid, a Sundae spoon and a bottle of Fluff = bliss 🙂 xx

    Reply
  23. Charlie says

    March 17, 2011 at 9:03 am

    I’m sending you and your Dad loads of good wishes and get well thoughts. Times like these are very, very tough. Lots of love x

    Reply
  24. norma says

    March 18, 2011 at 2:47 pm

    This is a definite for my next party…I love my crab cakes. Thanks for reecipe….

    Reply
  25. norma says

    March 18, 2011 at 2:48 pm

    I wish your father well and there will be a special prauer said for him.

    Reply
  26. tinytearoom says

    March 19, 2011 at 1:28 pm

    you had me laughing at the monitor when describing your first encounter with electronic capture signatures. I only laugh because I know how it feels. I was so excited to us PayPass Tap&Go I giggled like a school girl. Unfortunately Old Bay Seasoning is banned in Australia. Apparently it has a seed, if planted, is dangerous to some of Australia’s native fauna. You crab cakes look lovely

    Reply
  27. CherylK says

    March 19, 2011 at 4:46 pm

    How do you think this would be using salmon instead of crabmeat? I’d love to try this recipe but haven’t any crabmeat. I do have salmon. Maybe just leave out the Old Bay? Am recovering from a broken ankle so can’t zip to the market – ha! I’m using up what I’ve got. A great way to clean out the pantry, fridge and freezer!
    Such a worry about your dad. Are they giving him nourishment through I.V. at all? I just can’t imagine how miserable he must be. Thank you for keeping us posted on his progress.

    Reply
  28. annieboo says

    March 24, 2011 at 2:17 am

    I live five miles from a Trader Joe’s and love to “shopping cart stalk” in that store. I always come home with many additional items that other shoppers say “are to die for” and my list just keeps growing and growing. Sometimes, causing me to hyperventilate. I have a friend who flies her bottles of “two-buck Chuck” (TJ’s $2 Charles Shaw wine) home by the case. Bring me a food item from your travels and I’m a happy camper, no snow-globes, trivets or magnets for me. While fellow travel companions are hitting the local Wal-Mart for souvenirs, you can find me in their food isles trawling for local foodstuffs…………

    Reply
  29. Mike says

    March 24, 2011 at 4:41 pm

    I love visiting supermarkets in foreign countries. As you say, it provides a wonderful little glimpse into everyday life. A poor man’s anthropological field trip.

    Reply
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🍷 The Languedoc-Rousillon region is the largest wine producing region in the world, and produces about a third of all French wine. Pays d'Oc IGP is a classification region within Languedoc-Rousillon, with vineyards that take up over half the total vineyard area in the Languedoc-Rousillon region. Pays d'OC IGP wines account for about 20% of the total of all French wine produced.

🍷IGP stands for Indication Geographique Protegée, meaning it is a protected indication of origin and wines must be made only from approved grape varieties that must be grown entirely within the region's geographic boundaries.

🍷 Most French wines are named for their region (Bordeaux, Chablis, Champagne) but you won't see the name of the grape variety on the label. In response to consumer demand and the New World trend to label wines with grape varieties, rules were changed in Pays d'Oc in the late 1980s and Pays d'Oc wines now account for 92% of French varietal wines (e.g. labelled Chardonnay, Syrah, Viognier etc.).

🍷 There are 58 grape varieties that are allowed to be planted in the region but the Pays d'Oc IGP varietal wines to watch out for include Chardonnay, Rolle (another name for Vermentino) and Viognier among the whites; and Syrah, Mourvedre and Pinot Noir among the reds.

🍷 All wines labelled Pays d'Oc IGP are sampled and approved in a blind tasting by a panel of professionals, meaning the label is a guarantee of quality to the consumer. 

🍷 Producers that you should look out for include Gerard Bertrand, Domaine Gayda, Les Jamelles, Les Yeuses, Paul Mas and Domaine Aigues Belles.

First 📸: @everyglassmatters
New year's resolutions: waste of time or the way f New year's resolutions: waste of time or the way forward?

I have mentioned before that I don't really make new year's resolutions. There is always so much pressure to make them BIG lofty goals and this is essentially what dooms them to failure. Instead, for the past few years I have made a list of... affirmations? Mantras? I have yet come up with a word that does not make my toes curl 🤣

These are essentially reminders rather than goals - presets, if you like, for the year ahead. I keep them in a handwritten list next to my computer and when I don't know how to react to something or how to shake a mood, I read them and there is usually an answer in there somewhere. 

Given the bruising year last year was, and how 2021 has so far proven itself to be not much better, I really wanted to add something practical to this year's list to lift my spirits on days when I am down. And for that I borrowed shamelessly from the wonderful @gretchenrubin:

🌈  ACT THE WAY YOU WANT TO FEEL 🌈

And this photo is a reminder of how I want to feel on so, so many levels: hanging out with friends; dancing in the sunshine; wearing my favourite red dress; travelling (this was in Carouge, Switzerland); and surrounded by a rainbow of colour. I can't travel and I can't see friends, but I can dance in my kitchen, singing at the top of my voice wearing my brightest clothes. 

What strategies do you use to lift your spirits? I'd love to hear! 

📸 by @tasteofsavoie
If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bi If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bircher muesli during lockdown, you will want to bookmark this post right now! 🔖

I have learnt a few things during lockdown. I have learnt that I am more comfortable spending long periods alone than I had ever imagined; that I suffer a lot more from FOMO (fear of missing out!) than I would like to admit; and that pre-Covid I spent rude sums of money on commuting and barista coffee...! 

I also learnt that although I miss travel and social events and meals out, it is often the smaller things that you miss most acutely - the freedom to call up a friend you haven't seen in a while and inviting them over. Hugging (or even seeing) my family. And grabbing a macchiato and a Pret Bircher muesli on the way to work. Don't ask me why, but it became a small obsession of mine to create a fakeaway Pret Bircher during lockdown - and I think I have succeeded! Here's how:

For 2 servings you will need:
100g rolled oats
200ml milk or water
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds 
1 Tbsp shelled pistachio nuts
1 Tbsp dried cranberries 
2 small apples
175g plain yoghurt
Honey
Pomegranate rails

Mix the oats, seeds, nuts and cranberries together then add the milk/water and a pinch of salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. 

When ready to serve, grate the apples and mix them in with the oats and yoghurt (add a little extra milk to loosen if needed). Stir in honey to taste and serve topped with pomegranate arils and pistachios. Full recipe and more photos are available now on the blog - click the live link in my profile.

Did you try any fakeaway recipes over lockdown? Please let me know in the comments - I would love to hear about it!
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts
Plum upside down cake
plum flapjack crumble
Sesame ginger Brussels sprouts
Jersey-royals-salmon-salad2 © Jeanne Horak 2019

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