December 28, 2010

Dungeness Crab Cakes

The dungeness are a popular delicacy in the Pacific Northwest.  Named after a small town and the shallow bay of Dungeness, Washington State. It has become the prime destination of crabbers. Thousands visit the bay each year after the culinary jewel of the place. Available all year round but more plentiful beginning October till the end of the year. At least that is my observation.  The Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco is a popular destination of tourists from around the globe. They particularly go for the sweet taste of the crustacean.  The crab is usually boiled or steamed. They even recommend using sea water to boil with or just add salt to tap water for better taste. Here is one way of preparing this delicious crab.
For a pound of picked crab you will need 1/2 cup of Saltine crackers crushed, a sprig of chopped flat parsley, some mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped shallots, a pinch of cayenne pepper powder, a dash of Old Bay seasoning or mustard if you wish. Season with salt and pepper lightly and for the binding agent a large slightly beaten egg. Use a 1/3 measuring cup to pack the crab and brush them lightly with egg wash and cover  with bread crumbs before pan frying in oil.
They could be served with lemon aioli, mayonnaise with mustard and hot pepper or mustard sauce with a hint of garlic, etc. I like it with simple and not over powering sauces. I still want its sweet and delicate flavor. So enjoy!

18 comments:

  1. These look delicious...love crab cakes, and agree a lemon aioli would do beautifully here :)
    Wishing a glorious New Years to you!

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  2. I Love crab so much.. drolling now.... :)))

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  3. You make my mouth water! :-) I would love to try one of these right now.

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  4. The texture, the color..the fact that crab is to die for are making me drool here. This is something I just love to rder when I am out.

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  5. Definitely up for the aioli. For some reason snow crab and king crab makes it way to the Midwest but dungeness do not. Are they afraid of the cold? Every time I see a photo of them, I dream. I'm dreaming now.

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  6. Your crab cakes look perfect! I loooove crab cakes, and I think the best ones are the ones that focus on the flavor of the crab instead of covering it up with too many other flavors. Great job :)

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  7. A very Happy new year to you n ur family , loved going thru ur wonderful blog !!!

    - Smita
    www.littlefoodjunction.blogspot.com
    (fun foods for little eaters

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  8. Oh I love anything with Crab... your crab cake looks so yummy and delicious...I want to stry this.. thanks for sharing

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  9. These are the best looking crab cakes I've seen in a while! We don't get Dungeness crabs over here, but I suppose any succulent crab can be used in this recipe. Makes me want to go out and buy some so I can make this ;-).

    Happy New Year, my friend, may your year be filled with joy and blessings!

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  10. Happy New Year! I love the crab "pyramid" shot! I miss crab soooo much!

    Ciao,

    L

    P.S. You partly inspired one of my blog posts (that will appear January 21st) It's a simple lesson on steaming vegetables in the pressure cooker but I went "all out" (which is nothing like you going all out) and instead of making carrot coins I made carrot flowers! Ever since discovering your blog, when coming up with a recipe, I ask myself... what can I do to make this more artistic and delightful to the eye?

    Thank you for spreading such beauty, inspiration and deliciousness!

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  11. They must be fabulous! Happy New Year
    Francesca

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  12. Que rico pastel de cangrejo! Te ha quedado genial Arthur.

    FELIZ AÑO NUEVO. Un abrazo. Marimi

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  13. You had me at the word crab...the patties were the bonus ;o)
    I've had different variety of this shellfish, however, not the dungeness yet.
    Everything looks so appetizing. Bring out a Portuguese Rosé and I'm at your table ;o)

    Arthur, here's wishing you the very best for this newest year.
    Really looking forward to your next concoctions ;)
    Ciao for now,
    Claudia

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  14. When I order crab cakes from a menu, I expect something that looks like your mouthwatering pictures. Instead, I get a potato cake with a bit of crab in it. Looks like I'm going to have to make them myself. Thanks for the recipe. We don't have Dungeness crab in Ireland but the native varieties are pretty good too.

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  15. Haha I thought you had been in England where Dungeness is on the east coast, a wonderfully bleak place famous for its power station and Derek Jarman's garden! Those look superb ! I wonder what saltine crackers equivalent in the British larder is, what do they taste of, or would something like Carrs water biscuit do instead? Best, Joanna

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