I’VE EATEN CRAB CAKES AT OBRYCKI’S IN BALTIMORE, Harris Crab House in Grasonville, Maryland, King
Neptune’s in Gulf Shores, Alabama, The Wreck in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and dozens of other celebrated Southern crab houses, but the only ones that could touch Louis Osteen’s small wonders at his restaurant on Pawleys Island, South Carolina (made today with both crab and lobster) were the simple cakes served at Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn in Annapolis, Maryland. “Just crabmeat, mayonnaise, a few bread crumbs and onions, and seasonings,” was all the waiter would volunteer in the way of a recipe, so I had to depend on my taste buds and imagination to reproduce these appetizer cakes. You can certainly serve them without the mustard sauce, but I think the sauce gives them a real flair without detracting in the least from the sweet crabmeat. To keep the cakes light
as a feather, mix them very gently.

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

THE MUSTARD SAUCE:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 large egg yolks
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

THE CRAB CAKES:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced scallions
• 3 tablespoons finely crushed soda crackers
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 11⁄2 pounds fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
• 3⁄4 cup fine bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter

INSTRUCTIONS

TO MAKE THE MUSTARD SAUCE:

1. Combine the butter, lemon juice, egg yolks, and black pepper in a heavy saucepan over low heat.
2. Whisk rapidly and constantly until the mixture thickens.
3. Whisk in the water, then remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly.
4. Add the mustard and whisk until the sauce is well blended and smooth.
5. Keep the mustard sauce warm.

TO MAKE THE CRAB CAKES:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, egg white, lemon juice, scallions, cracker crumbs, and cayenne pepper.
2. Whisk the ingredients until well blended.
3. Add the crabmeat to the mixture and toss very gently.
4. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and gently shape each portion into a small, but fairly thick patty.
5. Spread the bread crumbs on a baking sheet and lightly coat the crab cake patties.
6. Chill the patties, covered, for at least 1 hour.

WHEN READY TO SERVE:

1. Heat the butter in a large, heavy skillet.
2. Add the crab cakes to the skillet and sauté over moderate heat for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
3. Serve each crab cake with about 1 tablespoon of the mustard sauce spooned over the top.