For Crab Cakes That Don't Fall Apart, Bake Them In The Oven
Crab cakes can be so divine, but we all know they can be a little tricky to perfect at home, especially when they fall apart when we're cooking them. You want crab cakes that hold well, but if you add too much binding agent, the crab cakes can become mushy and flat. Fortunately, there's an easy trick to remedy this. Celebrity Chef Josh Capon, Co-Founder of VCR Group, promoting Flavors of the Open presented by DOBEL uncovered the trick for us, stating, "To avoid them falling apart, try baking them in a hot oven." He added, "Mix the ingredients together and use an ice cream scoop. Then bake them at 400 degrees [Fahrenheit] on a sheet pan until golden brown."
Capon also wanted us to know we should be generous when it comes to how much crab we use to make our crab cakes. He said enthusiastically, "When it comes to crab cakes the mo crab the mo better!"
Ready to make the best crab cakes that don't fall apart? Start with a good crab cake recipe, like our easy and classic Maryland crab cakes recipe or our delicious crab cakes with herb salad recipe. Be sure to preheat the oven so it's nice and hot and use extra crab meat, as Capon advised.
Don't forget the sauce and a glass of white wine
Once all your crab cake ingredients (the crab, fillers, and binding agents) are mixed, use an ice cream scoop to scoop mounds of crab cakes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you find the crab cake is still not holding its shape, you want to add an ingredient that will elevate your crab cakes — shrimp paste or mousseline. Shrimp mousseline acts as a binder to keep the crab cake ingredients together and adds more seafood flavor.
After you bake the crab cakes to perfection, don't forget the sauce. While tartar sauce is the go-to condiment to pair with crab cakes, we also recommend trying a herby creamy sauce to dip the crab cakes in: dill mayo. If you fancy neither tartar sauce nor dill mayo, fret not, as there are plenty of other sauces for crab cakes.
Finally, don't forget to pour a glass or two of white wine. After all, white wine is the absolute best wine to pair with crab cakes.