Lump Sums

Variations on crab cake's coastal traditions can profit most operations

By Margaret Sheridan, Senior Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 10/15/2003

Crab cakes grab attention on any menu, delivering versatility and adaptability as well as taste appeal. Classically prepared, they rise to white-tablecloth elegance, but crab cakes also snag appetizer sales when paired with feisty dipping sauces and rival lobster rolls when served as a profitable grab-and-go treat.

“Every operator has a favorite crab-cake preparation or a regional preference,’’ says Mary Hinds, executive chef and co-owner of The Peerless Restaurant in Ashland, Ore. “Chefs on the East Coast use a paprika mixture. In the Pacific Northwest, we buy Dungeness in season and limit the breadcrumb filler and strong seasonings to show off the meat’s delicate flavor.’’

Hinds serves crab cakes with caper aioli on catering and banquet menus, where the dish is a strong seller. “It’s a regional taste, something you grow up with,’’ says the Oregon native, who has worked as a chef on both coasts and has prepared cakes with Dungeness (her favorite) and blue crab (the East Coast commodity).

In working with crab, Hinds cautions operators not to overpower the meat’s subtle flavor with too many strong ingredients. Instead, she recommends that chefs leave the drama for sauces and garnishes. To prepare the cakes, Hinds uses a mixture of eggs, mayonnaise and breadcrumbs as binder. When pan-fried, the mixture produces a soft, creamy interior that contrasts with a slightly crisp exterior. Food costs run about 35%, she says.

At Washington University in St. Louis (a Bon Appétit Management Co. contract), Executive Chef Joaquin Bustos uses Asian ingredients to give an innovative twist to the formula of crab meat, binder and seasonings.

“I don’t like traditional crab cakes with breadcrumb filler,’’ he explains. Instead, sushi inspired his Sticky Rice Crab Cakes with Wasabi Sauce in which the flavor of crab is complemented with rice-wine vinegar, green onions and cilantro. A rice binder lends moisture and flavor. Portion sizes range from 1-ounce appetizers to two 2-ounce cakes for a lunch entrée. Garnishes include slices of Japanese cucumber and sprigs of fresh cilantro with yolk-rich wasabi sauce drizzled on the plate.