America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Crab Cakes

Crab Cakes
Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Instructions
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Active Cooking Time: 50 minutes crab cakes
Yield: Serves 4
1. Chop 2 celery ribs. Set aside.
Make Ahead: Serve immediately
2. Chop 1 small onion. (You should have cup.) Set aside.
Difficulty: Intermediate
3. Peel and smash 1 garlic clove. Set aside.
4. Peel, devein, and remove tails from 4 ounces shrimp. Set aside.
Ingredients 5. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
6. Pick over 1 pound lump crabmeat for shells, then place meat
1 Pound lump crabmeat * and 1 cup milk in small bowl, making sure crab is totally
1 Cup milk submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
1 Cups panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) * * 7. Meanwhile, place cup panko bread crumbs in small zipper-
salt lock bag and finely crush with rolling pin.
ground black pepper 8. Transfer crushed panko to 10-inch nonstick skillet and add
2 celery ribs another cup panko bread crumbs. Toast over medium-high heat,
1 small onion stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
1 garlic clove 9. Transfer toasted panko to shallow dish and stir in teaspoon
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter salt and pepper to taste. Wipe out skillet.
4 Ounces shrimp * * * 10. Pulse celery, onion, and garlic in food processor until finely
Cup heavy cream chopped, 5 to 8 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed.
2 Teaspoons Dijon mustard 11. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Rinse processor bowl and
Teaspoon hot sauce blade and reserve.
1 Teaspoon lemon juice 12. Melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in now-empty skillet over
Teaspoon Old Bay seasoning medium heat.
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil 13. Add chopped vegetables, teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon
pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and
* Fresh crabmeat will make these crab cakes taste even all moisture has evaporated, 4 to 6 minutes.
better. With packaged crab, if the meat smells clean and 14. Return vegetables to large bowl and let cool to room
fresh when you first open the package, skip the milk- temperature. Rinse out pan and wipe clean.
soaking step and simply blot away any excess liquid. 15. Strain crabmeat through fine-mesh strainer, pressing firmly to
* * Panko gives our crab cakes a delicate crispness without remove milk but being careful not to break up lumps of crabmeat.
overwhelming their fresh crab flavor. 16. Pulse 4 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp in now-empty
* * * The shrimp is going to be pulsed in the food processor, food processor until finely ground, 12 to 15 pulses, scraping down
so it doesnt matter what size they are. Just buy the bowl as needed.
cheapest available. 17. Add cup heavy cream and pulse to combine, 2 to 4 pulses,
scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer shrimp puree to bowl with
Tools cooled vegetables.
18. Add 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, teaspoon hot pepper
Liquid measuring cup sauce, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and teaspoon Old Bay
Dry measuring cups seasoning. Stir until well combined.
Chefs knife 19. Add crabmeat and fold gently with rubber spatula, being
Cutting board careful not to overmix and break up lumps of crabmeat.
Measuring spoons 20. Divide mixture into 8 balls and firmly press into -inch-thick
Paring knife patties. Place cakes on prepared baking sheet, cover tightly with
Rimmed baking sheet plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Parchment paper 21. Coat each cake in panko, firmly pressing to adhere crumbs to
Small bowl exterior.
Zipper-lock bag 22. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over
Rolling pin medium heat until shimmering. Place 4 cakes in skillet and cook
Nonstick skillet (10-inch) without moving them until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Rubber spatula 23. Using 2 spatulas, carefully flip cakes, add 1 tablespoon
Shallow dish vegetable oil, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook
Paper towels until second side is golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
Food processor 24. Transfer cakes to platter. Wipe out skillet and repeat with
Large bowl remaining 4 cakes and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Serve
Fine-mesh strainer immediately.
Plastic wrap
Spatulas (2) *
Platter

* The crab cakes are delicate and must be turned over

carefully in the pan. Weve found that using two spatulas is
the best way to do this.

Step By Step

1. Chop 2 celery ribs. Set aside. 2. Chop 1 small onion. (You should have 3. Peel and smash 1 garlic clove. Set
cup.) Set aside. aside.

4. Peel, devein, and remove tails from 4
ounces shrimp. Set aside.
5. Line a rimmed baking sheet with
parchment paper. Set aside.
6. Pick over 1 pound lump crabmeat for
shells, then place meat and 1 cup milk in
small bowl, making sure crab is totally
submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at
least 20 minutes.
 7. Meanwhile, place cup panko bread
crumbs in small zipper-lock bag and finely
crush with rolling pin.
10. Pulse celery, onion, and garlic in food
processor until finely chopped, 5 to 8
pulses, scraping down bowl as needed.
8. Transfer crushed panko to 10-inch
nonstick skillet and add another cup
panko bread crumbs. Toast over medium-
high heat, stirring constantly, until golden
brown, about 5 minutes.
11. Transfer vegetables to large bowl.
Rinse processor bowl and blade and
reserve.
9. Transfer toasted panko to shallow dish
and stir in teaspoon salt and pepper to
taste. Wipe out skillet.
12. Melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in
now-empty skillet over medium heat.
13. Add chopped vegetables, teaspoon
salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook,
stirring frequently, until vegetables are
softened and all moisture has evaporated,
4 to 6 minutes.
16. Pulse 4 ounces peeled and deveined
shrimp in now-empty food processor until
finely ground, 12 to 15 pulses, scraping
down bowl as needed.
14. Return vegetables to large bowl and
let cool to room temperature. Rinse out
pan and wipe clean.
17. Add cup heavy cream and pulse to
combine, 2 to 4 pulses, scraping down
bowl as needed. Transfer shrimp puree to
bowl with cooled vegetables.
15. Strain crabmeat through fine-mesh
strainer, pressing firmly to remove milk
but being careful not to break up lumps of
crabmeat.
18. Add 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard,
teaspoon hot pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon
lemon juice, and teaspoon Old Bay
seasoning. Stir until well combined.
 19. Add crabmeat and fold gently with
rubber spatula, being careful not to
overmix and break up lumps of crabmeat.
22. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in
now-empty skillet over medium heat until
shimmering. Place 4 cakes in skillet and
cook without moving them until golden
brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
20. Divide mixture into 8 balls and firmly
press into -inch-thick patties. Place
cakes on prepared baking sheet, cover
tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for
30 minutes.
23. Using 2 spatulas, carefully flip cakes,
add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, reduce
heat to medium-low, and continue to cook
until second side is golden brown, 4 to 6
minutes.
21. Coat each cake in panko, firmly
pressing to adhere crumbs to exterior.
24. Transfer cakes to platter. Wipe out
skillet and repeat with remaining 4 cakes
and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Serve
immediately.