5 Styles of Crabcakes To Try Across the South

By: The Local Palate

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Making crabcakes starts with the same labor-intensive process: extracting lump crabmeat from the shell and sifting it to remove any hard pieces while keeping the seafood intact. But what comes next varies across kitchens throughout the South.

The influences of each state, including where the crab is sourced, whether from the Southern Atlantic, the Chesapeake Bay, or Creole-influenced Gulf, are brought to life in a range of crabcake recipes. We’ve gathered examples from five restaurants from Maryland to Louisiana, where you can taste each region’s unique ingredients and preparations.

True Chesapeake Oyster Co.ʼsbroiled crabcakes. — True Chesapeake Oyster Co.’s broiled crabcakes.

THE LOBSTER TRAP

Asheville, North Carolina

This downtown Asheville restaurant relies on a few simple ingredients to form its crabcakes: Duke’s Mayo, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, and celery.
“There’s just enough structure to hold everything together without masking the crab’s natural sweetness,” chef and owner Mike McCarty says. He and his team loosely form the cakes and pan-fry them to develop a crisp exterior and a moist interior. The mayo adds a Southern touch, while a vinegar-based slaw, a Carolina staple, is served on the side.

TRUE CHESAPEAKE OYSTER CO.

Baltimore

True Chesa peake mixes mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, herbs, and the Maryland-made Old Bay seasoning that locals use liberally in seafood dishes, adding a dash of spice to the True Blue crabcake sandwich. The sandwich is named for the True Blue program from the Maryland Department of Agriculture, which certifies that crabmeat is locally caught.

The Old Bay and Worcestershire sauce add salty, umami-rich flavors to the crabcakes, enhancing the taste of the Maryland crabmeat, says the restaurant’s chef and partner, Zack Mills. Cooks fold the wet mixture into the crab and panko breadcrumbs, then form it into a baseball like shape before broiling it. “Broiling keeps the delicate texture and flavor better intact” versus frying, Mills says.

Louisiana Crab Cake with Chive Remoulade and Mirliton & Apple Salad Todd Coleman — Brennan’s Louisiana crabcake.

BRENNAN’S RESTAURANT

New Orleans

The Louisiana crabcake at this fine-dining landmark embraces local traditions, especially since it’s served with a salad of apples and mirliton, a green, pear-shaped vegetable used in Creole cooking (also known as chayote). Executive chef Kris Paladino and her team mix lump crabmeat with Creole seasoning and bell peppers, onion, and celery—the “holy trinity” that makes the base of many traditional Louisiana dishes like gumbo.

The crabcake is also served with a green remoulade, a classic French sauce unique to Louisiana, made with mayonnaise or oil, capers, herbs, and pickles; Paladino says the sauce falls somewhere between a tartar and cocktail sauce. “This version is made green with chives and enhanced with peppers and Creole spices, sharing a taste of place.” Brennan’s uses Gulf Coast crabs, celebrated for their rich, buttery, subtly salty flavor.

BAYSHORE CLUB BAR & GRILL

Miami

The team at Bayshore mixes chives, fresh herbs, mustard, lemon, and enough breadcrumbs to hold everything together without overpowering the crab, says executive chef Giovanni Pisfil. The crabcakes are pan-fried in oil over medium-high heat for three minutes on each side until they develop a golden crust.

Pisfil also adds a touch of ají Amarillo paste, reflecting his Peruvian background and giving the dish a spicy kick that marries Florida and Latin flavors in true Miami fashion. The crabcakes are plated with the waterside restaurant’s housemade lemon aïoli and topped with corn salsa that adds a touch of sweetness. Bayshore also prides itself on its use of Florida crab, which “lets us showcase the natural qualities of the meat—slightly buttery and tender,” Pisfil says.

FÉLIX COCKTAILS ET CUISINE

Charleston

Chef Alex Eaton reimagines the crabcake through a French lens, serving crab croquettes rather than cakes. She mixes blue crab, Duke’s Mayo, and jalapeños, and forms the mixture into balls that are then dipped in an egg wash, breaded with herbed panko, and deep-fried like a classic French croquette. Eaton uses seeded jalapeños to impart a chile flavor without the aggressive heat.

“Blue crab and peppers are both wildly abundant in South Carolina during the summertime,” Eaton says. “The sweetness of the crab is balanced by jalapeño, which adds another layer of flavor and texture.” Frying gives the croquettes a crisp exterior while keeping the inside delicate.