Tartar or Rémoulade Sauce(to serve, optional; store bought or homemade)
Instructions
Pick over the crabmeat, removing any stray shell pieces or bits of cartilage. Pat dry with paper towels and let drain on the towels for a few minutes.
Beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl and add 1/2 cup of the saltine crumbs (the rest will be used to coat the patties), the mayonnaise, onion, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire, cayenne, and black pepper and stir to blend well. Add the crabmeat and stir to combine.
Divide the mixture into 6 portions and shape each into a patty 3/4-inch thick, using your hand to make the rounds nice and neat. Place the remaining saltine crumbs on a plate. Dredge the patties in the crumbs to cover completely.
Line a clean plate with paper towels. Heat half of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté 3 of the patties until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Drain briefly on the paper towel–lined plate. Repeat with the remaining patties. Serve with lemon wedges, and Tartar or Rémoulade Sauce if desired.
Notes
You can use any kind of crab successfully in these crab cakes. They work beautifully with almost whatever crab your budget allows for – if you choose between the lump level and the claw meat level, you’ll get great crab cakes. The only reason jumbo lump don’t work is that they are a bit big for the crabcakes. Save this grade for pasta dishes, seafood stews, and so on, where they can be enjoyed as the generous chunk that they are.