Crab Cake Recipe- A Friday Night Tradition

The best way to spend a summer afternoon on the coast of Virginia is to load the car up with the kids, the coolers, the nets and the buckets and head out to Wormly Creek or Yorktown beach and spend a few hours crabbing. Tie chicken wings to some throw lines and start pulling them in. Take them home and throw the catch in a giant pot with Old Bay seasoning. Even if the crabs aren't biting, it's a great way to spend the afternoon in the sun.

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Catch of the day (Usually about 1 pound of crab meat)

1 TBS chopped onion

1/2 cup mayonnaise

couple of dashes of McIlheny's Hot Sauce

1/2 tsp Worcester Sauce

1 Egg

Bread Crumbs (maybe 1/2 cup, maybe not that much, just to give consistency)

Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl except bread crumbs. Add bread crumbs to mixture just until it holds together. You don't want to add too much. Remember, you want to taste crab meat, not bread. Form patties and fry them, a few at a time, in a few TBS of oil in a skillet. Fry until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook other side. Serve with lemon wedges.

The crab cake recipe comes from the Chesapeake Bay area, where I did most of my growing-up years, as my father was stationed at Ft. Eustis and Langley AFB. But the sauces come from my mother's Cajun roots. For a time, we lived in Opelousas, Louisiana, while my father was stationed in Vietnam. Both of my mother's parents, my grandma and grandpa Bantin, are from Louisiana, and lived in Opelousas for a long time after grandpa retired from the army. They were both great cooks, and no one could make Gumbo like my grandpa. They all gave me a real leaning toward spicy dishes. Cayenne pepper or Tony Chachere just tastes like home to me. So, while my crab cakes are packed full of flavor all by themselves, with a real East Coast influence, I often like to add a little bit of bite to them with either of these sauces, that come from the Bayou region of Louisiana.

Remoulade is typically flavorful and spicy, and this one adds a bit spice and flavor. Not overpowering with heat, it has a lot of flavor.

You can buy a prepared cocktail sauce, but if you are like me, and have the ingredients already in your own refrigerator, nothing beats a fresh-made cocktail sauce with plenty of horseradish.

Simply add 2 Tablespoons of Horseradish to 1/2 Cup of Ketchup and 1 teaspoon to 1 TBS of fresh lemon juice, depending on your taste. Stir it all together and it is ready to serve.

This cookbook is full of regional favorite recipes featuring the world famous Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs. Stuffed crab, crab dips, from appetizer to entrée, this book is full of creative, delicious recipes.

If you like the stories and recipes I share in my articles on hubpages, I'd sure like to hear from you. Do you have special stories and memories associated with your favorite recipes? When you pull out an old handwritten recipe, does it stir up memories? What are some of the favorite memories you have about the people who have shared their love of cooking with you?