Last Updated on February 9, 2024
Amid great excitement, I recently went on a trip to the seaside to Whitstable in Kent. I so love being by the sea, even in what was decidedly chilly spring weather. Wandering along the promenade with the sea breeze blowing away the cobwebs, taking in endless sea views. Settling down in a restaurant on the beach or in the harbour for an alfresco lunch seems like such a privilege now, especially with the wide range of local seafood on offer. We feasted on oysters and lobsters, cockles and mussels and, best of all, I rediscovered my love for crab.
Crab season runs from April to November and it is at its height this time of year. The crustacean is so abundant in the waters around England which makes it one of the most sustainable choices of seafood. It’s also some of the best value for money and tastes fabulous, too. And because it’s so plentiful at the moment it’s readily available, all prepared, in supermarkets. How many reasons do you need? More than enough for me!
So, inspired by the magnificent crab, I’ve created this beautiful crab cake recipe. It’s better to use the white crab meat here. I’ve added ricotta which makes the finished cakes beautifully light, almost fluffy and the lime zest brings out the crab flavour and adds a bit of zing. Plus there’s a touch of cayenne for a little heat and some crushed fennel seeds, too. This crab cake recipe is a magical combination of ingredients making for a perfectly light and flavoursome crab cake which is so quick easy to make.
All you need to do is mix all the ingredients (except the panko breadcrumbs) in a bowl. Make sure they are well combined.
Wet your hands and shape the cakes into discs. This mixture is enough to make four cakes. Put the cakes into the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up a bit.
Take the cakes out of the fridge after a couple of hours and roll in the Panko breadcrumbs making sure they are properly covered.
Add a large knob of butter and the sunflower oil to a large frying pan. Bring up to a medium heat and fry for about 10 minutes on each side until nicely browned on both sides..
Serve with salad or vegetables of your choice. Today I made a wedge salad, simple wedges of lettuce topped with fried crispy lardons, snipped chives and blue cheese dressing. If you’re vegetarian, it tastes just as good without the lardons.
Love this crab cake recipe and looking for more recipes using seasonal ingredients? Why not try this delicious pasta with salmon and wild garlic pesto.
Here’s a printable version of the recipe for you.
Crab Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g white crab meat prepared
- 100 g ricotta
- 2 tbsp Parmesan
- 2 tbsp chives finely chopped
- 2 slices white bread crusts removed, made into breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds ground
- 1 lime zest of
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 100 g panko breadcrumbs to coat
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients, except the panko breadcrumbs, butter and sunflower oil together in a bowl.
- Using wet hands, shape the mixture into four crab cakes. Place in the fridge for two hours to firm up.
- Take out of the fridge and roll in the panko breadcrumbs to thoroughly coat.
- Put them back in the fridge for at least another hour before cooking.
- Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Melt the butter and heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan, giving plenty of room for the four cakes.
- Bring to a medium heat and fry the cakes for about 10 minutes on each side, turning down the temperature if they look like burning.
- Serve immediately with your choice of salad or vegetables.
Nutrition
And, here’s a pin if you’d like to save this recipe to make later
These look really tasty. I love the idea of using ricotta rather than potato for a lighter crab cake!
They are really very light and the lime makes them lovely and zesty.
Looks really tasty and really light. Be good to try this.
You should definitely try the recipe. I think they are the best crab cakes I’ve ever eaten. Let me know what you think once you’ve made them.