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Crab Cakes with Fresh Basil and Thyme

Recipe

  • 1 pound backfin crabmeat
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • ¼ cup chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup French bread crumbs
  • 1 cup dry French bread crumbs for coating
  • oil for frying

Remove any shell or cartilage from crabmeat. Place meat in a medium bowl.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Sauté onion and celery until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in basil, thyme, cayenne, salt and Tabasco. Blend in mayonnaise, egg and bread crumbs. Gently blend into crabmeat, being careful not to break the meat apart. Shape into 6 or 8 patties. Dredge lightly in the remaining 1 cup crumbs.

Fry crab cakes in 3 tablespoons of oil at 350° F for about 4 minutes or until golden brown per side. Drain on paper towels.

Contributed by Joyce Taylor MM2