Basil's Crab Cakes

Basil’s crab cakes go all in on the seafood, blending blue and snow crab with chopped shrimp so every bite is properly luxurious. The shrimp adds sweetness and a slight chew that contrasts the flakier crab, plus it acts as a natural binder when it cooks.

The technique is the restaurant move: sear hot in oil for a deep golden crust, then finish in a 400 degree oven so the inside cooks through without burning the outside. Pan-only and you’ll get cakes that are leathery on the outside and raw in the middle. The two-step is what gets you proper restaurant texture.

Dijon, Cajun spice, and garlic mayo do the seasoning lift, and the breadcrumb coating on the outside crisps into a shatter-thin shell.

Chef Tips

• Pick the crab meat over with your fingers before mixing. Even premium lump crab can hide bits of shell that ruin a bite.
• Mix gently with a wooden spoon, never a stand mixer or aggressive folding. You want to keep crab pieces intact, not break them down to mush.
• Chill the formed patties for 20 minutes before searing if you have the time. Cold cakes hold their shape better in the hot pan.
• Get the oil truly smoking before the cakes go in. A medium-hot pan equals soggy, oily crab cakes.

Variations

• Stir 2 tablespoons of capers and a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest into the mix for a brighter Mediterranean lean.
• Use only lump crab if you can splurge, skipping the shrimp, for a more traditional cake.
• Serve with a remoulade instead of champagne sauce when you don’t want to open a bottle of bubbly.