Ruth's Chris Steak House Crab Cakes Recipe - Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What makes Maryland crab cakes different? ›

Maryland Crab Cakes: Hailing from the Chesapeake Bay region, Maryland-style crab cakes are renowned for their simplicity and emphasis on the star ingredient – crab. These cakes typically showcase lump crab meat, lightly bound together with minimal fillers such as breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, and a blend of spices.

While egg is a popular choice, it alone is not enough to make crab cakes retain their shape. A starch binder is also required. The key here is maintaining the proper balance, as too little binder means your crab cakes will fall apart, but too much will give your crab cakes an unfortunate texture.

While there's nothing highly unusual about the way crab cakes are done here—the name is really to distinguish them from Maryland crab cakes, which are (presumably) sourced from the Chesapeake Bay and tend to use Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in their preparation—the typical way of doing these in ...

Boardwalk style cakes are filled with smaller chunks of crab, egg, breadcrumbs, and seasoning- Old Bay, of course. They are breaded and usually deep-fried to create a crusted outer layer with a delicious and soft filling.

Remove crabcakes from refrigeration and allow to come to room temperature. Place crabcakes on a cookie sheet. Bring oven to 350° temperature.

Are crab cakes better baked or fried? You can either bake or fry these crab cakes. My personal preference is to bake them because it's easier (no risk of them falling apart when you flip them) and they are less prone to drying out (it's easy to overcook the crab cakes when frying them in a pan).

Crabmeat: Sure, you'll get the best crab flavor from fresh-picked meat, but canned crabmeat is no slouch and a whole lot easier to come by. I prefer jumbo lump for its amply sized pieces, but lump crabmeat—sometimes labeled “backfin”—is a worthy substitute.

Using canned crab meat that hasn't been fully drained may lead to extra liquid in the mixture, making the cakes mushy. Using low-quality crab meat may also lead to mushy cakes, which is why I recommend using lump crab meat.

If there are too many breadcrumbs in the mixture, it has the potential to dry out a crab cake.

Keep in mind that you have to start the crab cakes cold so they're firm enough to hold their shape, no matter how you cook them: sautéing, baking, or pan-frying. Our handmade Maryland Jumbo Crab Cakes are 8 ounces, roughly the size of a baseball and can feed 1-2 adults.

Where does Oprah get her crab cakes from? ›

Pappas Restaurant and Sports Bar

It's a favorite of celebs, including Oprah, who regularly has the cakes shipped to her. Executive chef Wilson Rodriguez has been working in the kitchen for 27 years. Consistency is one of the things the restaurant credits for such great crab cakes.

A staple of Maryland cuisine, the crab cake is also popular in many parts of the U.S. and other countries throughout the world.

According to the 2022 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, the 227 million crabs in the bay this year represent an all-time low in the survey's 33-year history. This reduced supply is one reason why crab prices been climbed for the last few years.

The Differences In Maryland Crab Cakes

For starters, they typically use more meat and less other filling compared to regular crab cakes. Of course, every recipe is different, but Maryland's versions really allow the crab meat to shine and only use enough fillers to hold the cakes together.

crab meat (portunus spp), sauce (soybean oil, water, egg, acetic acid, sugar, salt, worcestershire sauce [malt vinegar, spirit vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, tamarind extract, onions, garlic, spice, spice flavor], mustard powder, xanthan gum and tara gum [stabilizers]), bread crumbs (wheat flour, salt, ...

For the absolute best crab cake (and crab dip!), I recommend using lump crab meat or a mix of lump crab meat and backfin meat. Lump crab meat guarantees those big, mouthwatering bites of crab.

It is not recommended that you eat crab cakes that have been stored for more than a couple of days.

Nothing complements the sweet and savory flavors of tender crab meat better than grilled vegetables, so if you're making crab cakes, go ahead and serve them with some grilled corn, asparagus, or onions for a splash of color and nice smokey and charred taste.

In a skillet over medium heat, the crab cakes should be fully cooked and golden brown after about 5-6 minutes on each side (or 10-12 minutes in total).

There's actually a pretty easy fix for this common problem. Simply stick your crab cakes in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The time they spend there will allow the crab cakes to solidify their shape. It also helps to bring out their flavors more, so there's more benefits to be reaped here!

Is it better to cook crab cakes in oil or butter? ›

Ultimately, it is your decision how you choose to fry your crab cakes, as both oil and butter will work equally well depending on your taste and cooking preferences.

Combine 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Dijon (or Creole mustard), 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon capers, 1 clove garlic, and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice in a food processor or high-speed blender.

The “Mustard”

What makes it so unique, though, is that the climate helps improve the taste and amount of fat located in the crabs. Maryland blue crabs hibernate in the Chesapeake Bay throughout winter, which allows them the luxury of building additional fat reserves that have a distinct look and taste.

Unlike their Maryland cousins, Louisiana crab cakes are known for their bold seasonings, including garlic, cayenne, paprika, green onions, and a variety of herbs such as thyme and parsley. Louisiana crab cakes might also include the "holy trinity" of Creole cooking: bell peppers, onions, and celery.

There are telltale yellowish protrusions in each lump of imported crab meat distinctive to the imported crab species and not found in Maryland Blue Crab. There are also differences in the aroma between Maryland crabmeat and imported crabmeat. “If you smell it, Maryland has a musky, kind of deep-sweetness to it …