Living in a landlocked city, I often mourn my lack of access to fresh seafood. I once had a crab cake sandwich in Lubbock and then spent the night laying on the bathroom floor, pondering my regrets about my menu selection.
Well, needless to say my own crab cake creation had much more positive consequences. No bathroom floor, only a content stomach.
Now, here is a secret about crab cake sandwiches. Even when the cakes fall apart they still taste delicious. And since these are just going between two pieces of bread, you can hardly even tell that I had some patty assembly issues. I just quickly placed my crab cake pieces on the bun, pushed them together, and then places the top bun on top and voila: a faux crab cake. I’ve never had any luck getting my crab cakes to stay together and so my version of a crab cake sloppy joe came to be.
Since you’re making this crab mixture to smash between two buns, there is no need to add extra breading to dilute the crab filling just so the patties stay together. This is pure crab taste with tangy tartar sauce. Serve with some salt and vinegar chips and you are good to go.
CRAB CAKE SANDWICHES
From Cinnamon Freud
INGREDIENTS
12 ounces lump crab meat
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon celery salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter
4 hamburger buns
2 tablespoons olive oil
Tartar sauce, recipe follows
Sliced red onion, for serving
Chopped lettuce, for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl combine crab, mayonnaise, scallions, panko, smoked paprika, celery salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Fold in egg, adding more bread crumbs if mixture is too wet.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Butter the hamburger buns and place butter side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Set aside. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Pour crab mixture in a single layer. Cook for 3-5 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Divide mixture between buns and top with tartar sauce. Top with red onions and lettuce if desired.
Makes 4 sandwiches.
TARTAR SAUCE
From Cinnamon Freud
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 sweet pickles, chopped
2 tablespoons minced shallot
Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sweet pickles, and shallot together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld before using.
cinnamon freud 