Crab cakes

I'm rather shocked at myself for not posting this sooner, as it's such a perfect summer meal, but better late than never and there's no reason not to eat them year round!!! They are so easy to make, and so loved by so many people. They're a great company dish as they can be made a few hours ahead of time, take almost no time to cook, and are luxurious to eat. They key is to buy good, fresh crabmeat, and keep them simple so the taste of the crab can shine through.

The recipe below makes 4 good sized crab cakes -- one per person for a meal. You can also make them smaller, and even bite sized for appetizers.

The same recipe is also great for stuffing mushrooms, shrimp, or some sort of fish like flounder, sole or tilapia.

1 pound fresh crab meat (backfin or lump is fine, but if you want to go REALLY highbrow, get the jumbo lump)
1 heaping tbsp. of good mayo (I like Hellman's best)
1 egg
zest of one lemon
1 tsp. of Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 - 1/3 cup of plain bread crumbs

Mix the mayo, egg, lemon zest and Old Bay together in the bottom of a bowl, and gently fold in the crab meat trying not to break it up too much. Then add just enough bread crumbs so that the whole mixture will hold together. Do not add too much bread crumbs -- remember, the key is that these are CRAB cakes and crab should always be the dominant ingredient and taste.

Gently fold them into cakes and either saute in extra virgin olive oil until lightly browned on both sides, or place them under your broiler for about 5-6 minutes, until heated through.

Serve with a wedge of lemon, and if desired, your favorite tartar, remoulade, or other sauce. The tomato/red pepper/ginger sauce recipe I posted earlier also goes well with it, http://foodislove-judy.blogspot.com/2010/06/tomatored-pepperginger-sauce.html, but the key with any sauce is to use them sparingly and not overwhelm the delicate taste of crab.