Just in time for crab season, which I have come to learn that the season runs from November to June and in some places, year round. I’m fortunate to live close to the Northern California coastal town of Bodega Bay. If you’ve seen the Hitchcock movie The Birds then you’ll know where it is, just north of San Francisco. It is also known for it’s fresh crab and find myself frequenting the bay very often. The crab has to be the main focus of any crab cake and you really see (picture below) and taste the crab first and foremost in this recipe. That’s how it should be and because of this, is why I wanted the best possible and quality crab meat. The other ingredients are accent flavors of fresh dill, celery seed and lemon with just enough mayonnaise and breadcrumbs to hold them together.
Why crab cakes fall apart
The simple answer is the mix is too wet. There are a couple of things you can do to help prevent this. Refrigerate the patties to ‘set’ them before cooking helps. You can also add a little flour (a little goes a long way). The patties should stay together in your hand when forming them and not stick to your hands. One day, when I make it to Maryland, the first thing on the agenda is digging into their blue crabs and all the crab meat.
Sauce for crab cakes
Do you call them scallions, spring onions or green onions? They are in season now and add a lovely, slight onion flavor to the sauce that complements the fresh lemon. I also love adding them to Coleslaw. The preparing of the crab cakes comes with a few must-do’s to ensure the perfect outcome. The first is mix carefully. You want to keep as much of the lump crab meat in-tact as possible. Secondly, refrigeration of the crab meat. The cooled mix helps them stay together and not fall apart when you cook them. If you’ve made these Dungeness Crab Cakes with Lemon Scallion Sauce (or have a question) you can add those below.
