Description
Crispy Maryland Crab Cakes drizzled with zesty Old Bay donkey sauce bring coastal charm to your dining table. Packed with fresh lump crab meat and bold seasonings, these golden-brown delights will transport you straight to the Chesapeake Bay’s culinary paradise.
Ingredients
Scale
Crab Cakes with Old Bay Donkey Sauce
Main Seafood Ingredients:
- 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
- 1 large egg, beaten
Vegetable and Herb Components:
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh chives
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
Seasonings and Binding Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup panko
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup Donkey Sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Lemon wedges for serving
Donkey Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 heads garlic
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Roast garlic at 350°F by slicing off the top of garlic heads, drizzling with olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper, and wrapping in foil. Bake for 35-40 minutes until softened. Squeeze out roasted garlic and mash thoroughly.
- Create donkey sauce by blending mashed roasted garlic with mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.
- Sauté shallots, celery, and red bell pepper in vegetable oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Incorporate panko, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Toast for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden, then cool completely.
- Gently combine crabmeat with egg, half the prepared donkey sauce, fresh chives, basil, and additional Old Bay. Fold in cooled vegetable mixture, maintaining some crab chunks.
- Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425°F. Using a scoop, form 18-20 crab cakes, spacing them 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten each cake and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Bake crab cakes for 15-18 minutes, rotating pans midway, until achieving a golden exterior and thorough cooking.
- Whisk remaining donkey sauce with lemon juice, additional chives, basil, and Old Bay. Serve sauce alongside crab cakes with fresh lemon wedges for garnish.
Notes
- Roast garlic carefully to prevent burning, ensuring a mellow, sweet flavor without bitterness.
- Use fresh, high-quality lump crabmeat for the best texture and authentic seafood taste.
- Chill crab cake mixture before shaping to help them hold together during baking.
- Customize the recipe for dietary needs by using gluten-free panko or almond flour for a low-carb version.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55–61 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 100mg