Small Bites: Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are easy to make for two or for a crowd.

That is what we learned at The Journal’s last Small Bites filming in December from Rich Vellante, executive chef of the Legal Sea Foods restaurant group.

With the reopening of the Garden City Center Legal Sea Foods on Wednesday, Aug. 26, the time is right to unveil the cooking video produced with Journal partner the Providence and Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Prep time is 30 minutes and cooking time is eight minutes to create these crab cakes. The recipe serves four as an appetizer but can be doubled, or more.

All you need is some crab meat, Ritz Crackers (yes, Ritz), and a little prep work dicing peppers and celery and chopping up scallions. Then you fry them up in a pan and have an elegant appetizer, or even a main course.

Legal’s Signature Crab Cake

- 4-ounce package Ritz Crackers

- 2 tablespoons butter

-1/3 cup chopped scallions, both white and green parts

- 1/2 cup diced red peppers

- 1/2 cup diced celery

- 2–3 teaspoons minced garlic

- 1–2 tablespoons dry white wine

- 1/8 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

- 1–2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

- 8 ounces blue crab meat — lump or backfin — picked over for shells and cartilage

- Salt and freshly milled black pepper

- 1 large egg

- Flour, for dusting

- Olive oil, for frying

- Butter, for frying

Place the crackers in a plastic bag and crumble with your hands or with a rolling pin. Put them in a large mixing bowl, and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat and cook the scallions, red peppers, celery and garlic for 5 minutes, or until cooked through but still slightly translucent. Toss with the crackers.

Stir in the wine, Old Bay Seasoning, lemon juice, parsley and crab meat. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Mix in the egg. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Once the mix has set, remove from the refrigerator and divide the mixture into 4 equal portions.

Gently form crab cakes with your hands into a loose “ball.” Do not overpack; it should remain loose.

Dust with flour and sauté in olive oil and butter (combined) until cooked through.

Serves: 4

Author

Providence Journal

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