Old Bay Crab Cakes

By Paul Briand

If you know Maryland crab cakes, you know Old Bay.

At any seafood restaurant in Maryland you'll find Old Bay seasoning on the table. It's as ubiquitous as a salt and pepper shaker.

Old Bay is a combination of seasons and herbs used to enhance seafood, and I tried an online recipe from the Old Bay website for its own style of crab cakes.

According to the website, "this is the original recipe that appeared on the back of the Old Bay can ... Baking powder makes the crab cakes light and fluffy, while Old Bay Seasoning adds personality."

Ingredients
2 slices dried bread, crusts removed
Milk
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon parsley Flakes
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 pound lump crab meat

Directions
1. In a large bowl, break bread into small pieces. Moisten with milk.
2. Add mayo, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, baking powder, Old Bay, salt, egg and crab meat. Mix lightly and shape into patties. If time permits, refrigerate patties 30 minutes to help keep them together when cooking.
3. Broil or fry until golden-brown on both sides.

One issue with crab cakes is that they sometimes fall apart on the griddle. Letting the mixture rest in the refrigerator for about a half hour before cooking certainly helps but I still had a problem with the patties coming apart on the grill. But that was my fault. I had the grill on medium low. I should have had it fired up closer to medium high. That would have put an immediate sear on the patty, perhaps lessening the possibility of it falling apart at the flip.

How to serve it? Alone is fine. Between two lightly toasted hamburger buns is an option. I used mine to top a fresh salad.