Crab cakes are a delightful way to enjoy the early fall bounty of local crab, especially if you’re able to escape to the South Carolina coast and make the catch yourself. If you want to make crab cakes at home, follow this recipe to create a wonderfully satisfying dish that can top a salad or be eaten on its own with aioli, fresh salsa, or chutney. The secrets to a perfect crab cake are to gently incorporate the crab without breaking it up, limit the bread crumbs, and, of course, make sure all the shells are out of the crabmeat. Pair crab cakes with a crisp pinot grigio such as Acrobat from King Estate.

Crab Cakes

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 tablespoon Lusty Monk mustard
Zest and juice of one small lemon
1 tablespoon chives, finely minced
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 pound fresh lump or jumbo lump crab
1 cup panko, depending on how much juice is in the crab
2 ounces clarified butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl blend mayonnaise, egg, mustard, lemon juice, zest, herbs, salt, and pepper. Add 1 pound fresh lump or jumbo lump crab (picked through for shells). Fold 1 cup panko bread crumbs evenly and gently throughout the mix. Let rest in refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes. Form eight crab cakes and set aside. In a large sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat, add clarified butter. Cook crab cakes 2 to 3 minutes per side until light golden brown. Bake in preheated oven 3 to 5 more minutes and serve. Serves 4