Crab Cakes
These are the crab cakes from the Faidley Seafood counter in Baltimore, the best I have ever had. Under the crisp outer layer of the crab cakes, big chunks of succulent sweet crabmeat were barely held together by condiments and what I later found out were crisp crushed saltine crackers. I managed to work out this fairly close recipe, since Faidley’s would not part with the original one. Rémoulade is a condiment that kept resurfacing on my research trip all over America. It appeared in Baltimore with the crab cakes, in New Orleans with fried artichokes, as a topping for po’ boy sandwiches, and some rendition of it has even turned up as a topping for today’s Big Mac. The closest Italian traditional condiment to the rémoulade is the aglio e olio (aioli—the emulsified rendition of olive oil and garlic which is used on the Ligurian and French coast). The French-sounding name implies some French heritage, but, then, the French played a big role in the founding of America, in particular in the Louisiana Territory.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 crab ¿meatballs¿
Ingredients
for the rémoulade
for the crab cakes
Preparation
Step 1
For the rémoulade: whisk together all the ingredients, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The recipe for rémoulade makes extra; it can be used for a variety of dishes, or you could halve that part of the recipe.
Step 2
For the crab cakes: Crush the saltines with a rolling pin (while keeping them in their plastic sleeves). Empty the crumbs through a sieve into a bowl below, shaking to separate the larger crumbs from the fine crumbs. You will need about 1 to 1 1/4 cups fine crumbs for dredging the crab cakes.
Step 3
Put the larger crumbs in a large bowl, and add the crab, mayonnaise, mustard, and Old Bay. Mix gently until you can press the mixture together to form balls. Form into eight balls, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If you have time, refrigerate for 1/2 hour to let them set up a bit.)
Step 4
Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dredge the crab cakes in the fine crumbs, and when oil is hot enough, drop the cakes gently into the skillet. Cook, turning on all sides without squishing or flattening, until the cakes are golden, about 6 to 8 minutes in all. Drain on paper towels, and serve hot with the rémoulade.
NOTe
Step 5
Another very interesting and delicious condiment for sandwiches is the olive salad, also known as giardiniera, which I share with you in making the muffuletta sandwich (see page 64). Pickled vegetables are a big Italian tradition, the curing and preserving of vegetables when they’re plentiful to be used in the less generous winter months. They were always given with a sandwich to the farmer who went out to work the land, to the factory worker, or even to office workers or kids taking their lunch with them. Giardiniera was a kind of fast food, but it was wholesome and balanced.
