Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce

I have always loved crab cakes but the good ones in fancy restaurants are usually way overpriced. And the cheap ones are mostly fillers and no crab meat. So now, I make my own and we enjoy them at home.

Being so close to the Chesapeake Bay, I can't imagine eating a crab dish without Old Bay seasoning and those crab cakes are no exception. Serve them on a bun, or on a bed of lettuce, and don't forget the tartar sauce!

Makes 4 medium crab cakes

For the tartar sauce:

• ½ cup light mayo or veganaise = 100 g de mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons minced sweet pickles = 2 cuillères à soupe de cornichons doux émincés
• 1 tablespoon minced onion = 1 cuillère à soupe d'oignon émincé
• 1 teaspoon minced capers = 1 cuillère à café de câpres émincés
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar = 1 cuillère à soupe de vinaigre (blanc)
• Dash black pepper = une pincée de poivre noir

For the crab cakes:

• 1 egg, lightly beaten = 1 oeuf, légèrement battu
• ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs = 30 g de chapelure japonaise Panko
• 3 tablespoons light mayo or veganaise = 3 cuillères à soupe (40 g) de mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning = 1 cuillère à café d'épices Old Bay (ou remplacer par un mélange de paprika, sel, poivre, noix de muscade et piment de cayenne ou moutarde en poudre) 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice = 1 cuillère à café de jus de citron
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce = ¼ cuillère à café de sauce Worcestershire
• Pinch white pepper = une pincée de poivre blanc
• ½ pound fresh lump crabmeat = 225 g de chair de crabe en morceaux
• 1 tablespoon canola oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile de colza
• A few lemon slices = quelques tranches de citron

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the tartar sauce, stir, cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, mayo, Old Bay, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Gently fold in crab and shape into four patties. Refrigerate the crab cakes for about 30 minutes to one hour so they will hold their shape better during frying.

Heat oil in a large skillet, cook crab cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping them carefully.

Serve with lemon slices and tartar sauce. Enjoy!