Ya'll are so right...
about Old Bay... in fact most traditional MD crabcakes do NOT use it! It was originally developed by Baltimore Spice Co as the main ingredient for seasoning steamed crabs, what MD'ers would eat by the bushel at what we call a Crab Feast, in wife's family, almost always one at Memorial Day and one at Labor Day, at a miniumum. Newspapers on the pic table, slaw, German potato salad, Utz chips, soft rolls, and cases of National Bohemian Beer (Natty Boh), hammer and paring knife, rolls of paper towels. I'd concentrate on the body meat, save the claws for crab/chicken/corn soup. Got pretty fast after a few decades, but you should see the old black ladies in Crisfield at the processing plants!
McCormick Spice (a Balto institution, my SIL worked there) bought out OB in the '80s and pushed it as a sub for any recipe with red pepper etc, but it was originally for steamed crabs.(A Crab Story: the folks were both natives of Melrose Mass, but I was born in MD when Dad was transferred there by Bethlehem Steel. He never could get the hang of eating steamed crabs, he made my wife pick them for him, and she's good. He was so slow he always said it was the only food where you could actually starve to death while eating!)
I love OB for lots of things, but not crab cakes...it's great on grits (really!), chicken, a main ingredients of our marinated shrimp in beer, OB, EVVO, garlic and Worcestershire on the barbie... but NOT in CCs traditionally, though I sometimes like to put a bit on the outside of them before going into the deep-fryer... and to me the d-f is MANDATORY for real crab cakes... YMMV.
WK78 - Cockeysville - we lived 1 blk S. of Joppa Rd and W. of Charles Street in W.Towson-Riderwood near Lutherville from 1950-1968... I could ride my bike to Cockeysville and did many times. From '72 to '77 I worked in Towson for Balto Co Dept of Health as a Restaurant Inspector (Sanitarian), Cockeysville was on my beat! Until '90 we lived in Westminster, 30 mi NW of Balto. My folks used to love The Tail of The Fox and Johnny U's Golden Arm restaurants on York Rd. in Cockeysville-Lutherville, both had excellent crab dishes!
OK enough reminiscing, yet another sign of getting old...
On to the classic CC!
Here's one of Virginia Roeder's traditional (simple but good and no OB) ones.
Her "Fun With Seafood" cookbook (pamphlet really) was put out by The Sun and usually given out free at various Baltimore publicity events I don't think it was ever sold, I got it at a MD State meeting for Restaurant Inspectors, probably around 1974, it has some of the best seafood recipes I've ever tried, and it's literally falling apart at the seams! To me she's the Goddess of Maryland Seafood!
VR's Crab Cakes II:
1 lb Lump Backfin Crab meat (blue crab - is there any other kind?)
1 egg yolk only (no white)
1 tsp salt (calls for 1.5, I reduce a bit)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp real Mayo, preferably Duke's, or Hellman's if you can't get)
1 tbs fine chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbs melted butter
a little good bread crumbed small... some people use cracker crumbs, I've seen Ritz, Saltines, experiment to your own taste... I tend to use Pep Farm white cause it's on hand.
2 variations I sometime do:
#1 to above list add 1/4 cup minced scallions, green part only!
#2 imo works best with pan frying in butter or broiling (good alternative):
to above list add maybe 1 or 2 tsp grated orange zest to taste... I was dubious when I tried this at a restaurant, but it was darn good! I sometimes like to add the scallion green in this one too. The bit of orange makes for an interesting flavor complement to the subtle crab. I even sometimes add 1 tsp of Old bay to this variety just to perk it up a bit more, when in the mood.
You can also add in LIEU of parsley in these recipes: 1 tbs of fresh chopped Cilantro, Dill, or Basil if you really like those herbs, but I myself tend not to, being a traditionalist... too fancy.
Pick over crab meat to remove shells (there's always some, those ladies aren't perfect!). All all ingredients except crumbs, toss lightly, don't overdo. Shape into cakes, roll in bread crumbs, fry lightly in hot oil. Makes 6 to 8 cakes.
Like all cooking play around, see what you like, have fun...who knows, you might like Phillips' version best!
Now I'm going to see if I can find me some Backfin! New Years is coming... it's the annual time for Virginia Roeder's Crab Pie (recipe next time!)
