Do you always find yourself driving to your favorite restaurant just to pick some Joe’s crab shack crab cakes? Many of us do and we are hooked. So addicted to the taste that we don’t mind riding, driving, or even walking for hours so we can get our taste buds jamming to their favorite tune.
But hey, what if we told you that it is possible to prepare this delicacy right from the comforts of your home? And guess what, the process is not complicated and you probably already have all the right tools in the kitchen. This article details out a restaurant-grade recipe on how to prepare Joe’s crab shack crab cakes.
Bear in mind that the recipe below is a copycat of Joe’s Crab Shack. Therefore, it is ideal for those who want to replicate the brand’s success. Nevertheless, we will include some tips that offer ingredient substitutes for those on a weight loss program.
Ready for the ride? Nice, let’s roll then.
Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients you need for a 6-serving:
2 pounds crabmeat
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 ½ cups breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 egg yolks
¼ teaspoon mashed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks
¼ teaspoon blackening seasoning
Now that you know all the ingredients, it’s time for some directions on how to go about putting them all together.
Directions
Now mix all the items in a large bowl with the crab meat coming in last. Once that is done, use your hands or hamburger press to roll them into 4-ounce patties and place them on a plate. Coat each of those patties with flour or Panko breadcrumbs.
When it comes to frying, olive oil (or any other vegetable oil will suffice) will suffice. For the best results, throw a small bit of butter into the oil skillet and let it heat for a while. To tell if the oil is hot enough, simply drop small bits of the cake mixture. If fizzing occurs, it is time to drop the cakes in-one after the other.
Do not overcrowd your skillet with crab cakes. Just put in a few and make sure they are almost submerged in the oil. Stick around to flip them up until all the sides turn golden brown and yippee. You are done!
So what can I serve these crab cakes with?
You can serve them with French fries, coleslaw, trash can margarita, remoulade sauce, tomato gazpacho, oven-roasted veggies, sautéed corn, Mayo potato salad, fresh green salad, mango salsa, and anything else that you feel tastes good with crab cakes.
Cooking time
It should take you around 20-30 minutes to finish the entire process. You need roughly 10-20 minutes to prepare and 15 for cooking. However, how fast they turn into golden brown depends on the heat level of your stove, oven or grill.
Weight Loss Pointers To Observe While Cooking Crab Cakes
Throwing a list of ingredients in your face doesn’t really help, does it? Of course, it doesn’t. There are some nuances involved in preparing the healthiest, yet delightful crab cakes. Here is that extra info that will make sure crab cake doesn’t thwart your weight loss goals:
Crabmeat condition
Both canned and artificial crab meat would do just fine but might not have the full flavor of the fresh varieties. If you live close to the ocean or a shop that sells fresh crab, then get them from there.
There are four different types of crab meat that you can use-backfin, lump, jumbo lump, and claw. Jumbo lump comes from fin muscles and it is sturdy though a tad expensive. Lump is off-white, sturdy and flavorful.it could be the best option for making chunky crab cakes. Backfin is another good choice and at times it includes tiny pieces of the lump. Claw is only ideal for making soups, stews and dips.
Crab meat, in itself, is already a better option to poultry and beef. It has high protein,low fat and more omega-3 fatty acids. So, yeah, you would do better to have more seafood in a week.
Cooking method
Most people and restaurants stick to frying so they can get crusty cakes. However, if you want to stick to your weight loss program, grilling is a good option too.
Dean & Deluca, the biggest proponent of epicurean treats suggest that you bake first then grill. Grilling (including bake & grill) are better alternatives if you are a master griller and don’t mind losing the crust flavor.
If you must fry your crab cakes, then use olive oil. It goes without saying that you should avoid cholesterol-based oils.
Think outside the box
People who come up with recipes don’t actually dream about them or get epiphanies-no. They experiment. The recipe in this article is not fixed. In fact, crab meat pairs well with so many flavors like parsley, minced garlic or onion, and chopped fresh herbs.
Breadcrumbs’ role is to hold the cake together. So yes- you can do without them if you are on a weight loss program. Instead of breadcrumbs, you have options like cracker crumbs, panko, Japanese bread crumbs, and other healthy cereal crumbs that you love. Stick to whole-wheats instead of the sugar-packed types.
Crab Cake Weight Loss Recipe
In case you are still not sure on how to structure a weight loss crab cake, here is a sample recipe you can work with:
Ingredients
3 lbs jumbo lump crab meat
½ freshly ground black pepper
½ fresh thyme leaves
2 stalks celery or carrots
5 egg yolks
juice from ½ cut lemon
2 tablespoons minced garlic (fresh is better)
4 tablespoons salt-free Old Bay seasoning
2 cups whole-wheat bread crumbs
From here, the same preparation and cooking methods highlighted above apply.
Understand that crabs already have quite a lot of salt in them. If you must add some then do it sparingly. Too much salt can aggravate cardiovascular conditions. If anything, there are already enough ingredients to make an ultra-delicious crab cake.
Nutrition Facts per serving:
Calories 471, Total Fat 17.8g, Saturated Fat 3.2g, Cholesterol 263mg, Total Carbohydrate 43.9g, Dietary Fiber 2.5g, Total Sugars 5.7g, Protein 27.8g, Vitamin D 15mcg Calcium 656mg, Iron 5mg, Potassium 154mg
Wrap up
Voila! Now you know all the ingredients and instructions for preparing your own homemade crab cake. The quality will be the same or probably better than those from Joe’s Crab Shack. No more trips to your favorite restaurants and having to sit on a bench waiting. Furthermore, some restaurants charge quite a lot so just imagine for a moment how many bucks you’ll be saving.
Here is one more thing you need to know; you will not get the desired results during your first time. You’ll need to give it a go a couple of times to succeed. All the best and carpe diem!
