Joe Tresnak's Crabcakes

I grew up in Baltimore where Blue Crabs are an essential food group of their own. My father, Joe Tresnak, started feeding me the meat from steamed crabs when I was barely old enough to sit in a high chair (but not the requisite accompanying Natty Boh beer). By the time I was 6, I could pick a steamed crab by myself. Suffice it to say, crabcakes have always been a part of my life. 

For years, my husband, Bill, would order crabcakes in restaurants from Virginia to Maryland to Delaware. The menus often claimed they were “the best crabcakes in Maryland”, “the best crabcakes on the Eastern Shore”, or “the best crabcakes from you-name-it”. Bill’s assessment was always the same… “They’ve obviously never tasted yours, Kath.” To which I'd reply, “Thanks, hon.”

This recipe was originally printed on the back of the Old Bay can. Old Bay has since changed it, so don’t bother looking. Over the years, I have made a number of changes to improve the consistency, make them less salty, and make them healthier by using olive oil for cooking. Everybody who’s ever tasted them says they're THE BEST.

Not long ago, I started serving them with a Lemon-Caper Sauce invented by my friend, Joan Crowley. This sauce makes these crabcakes even better! Joan is a fantastic cook! 

Joe Tresnak's Crabcakes

1 pound crabmeat

2 slices bread, chopped fine in a food processor

1 tsp Old Bay

¼ tsp salt

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp Worcestershire

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp baking powder

2 eggs, beaten

Light olive oil (I use olive oil because it is healthy, but I use the light variety because it has little olivey flavor of its own)

Pick through crabmeat thoroughly for shells. Mix with bread crumbs.

Combine other ingredients in bowl. Add to crabmeat, and toss together until evenly distributed.

Form into flattened cakes, approximately 2-½ to 3 inches in diameter. Place on a plate and refrigerate for about an hour. (This will help bind the cakes so they don't fall apart when cooking.)

Pour about 1/8 inch light olive oil in large frying pan. Sauté in light olive oil until browned. Refresh oil as necessary when turning, or if you need to cook more crab cakes. Drain on paper towels.

Joanie’s Lemon Caper Sauce

1 cup + 2 Tbsp light mayonnaise

4 ½ tsp drained capers

4 ½ tbsp chives

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ tsp grated lemon peel

Combine all ingredients. Serve in a small bowl.