The Step You Shouldn't Skip For Perfectly Formed Crab Cakes

There are a few simple ways to elevate crab cakes. The famed seafood appetizer is meant to highlight the natural flavor of fresh, flavorful crab meat, so simplicity is key. That said, those good-quality, lump crab cakes can fall apart sometimes because they're missing the extra filler that more easily holds them together. But there's a way to keep your crab cakes intact without adulterating them: Chill them before they hit the pan. 

Chilling crab cakes before you cook them is a commonly used trick to help them bind together without adding more eggs or breadcrumbs. While including a binder is crucial, chilling the crab cakes helps them stick together better, and allows the breadcrumbs to soak up more flavor. The resulting cakes are less likely to turn out misshapen and the flavor won't be diluted by unnecessary ingredients. Refrigerate them for at least an hour before cooking, or up to overnight. You can chill them in the freezer if you're in a hurry, but be sure they don't freeze — a few minutes should do the trick. 

Mastering the technique is important, but the flavor of the crab cakes will come from what's in them rather than how well they hold their shape. For true, strong crab flavor, go with jumbo lump meat. It's available in the seafood section at most grocery stores, and it's just that: big lumps of meat from the largest muscles of the crab. Not only will this give your cakes the best texture, but it's also the most flavorful option. These bigger lumps are hard to hold together when making a crab cake, so the refrigeration step becomes especially important.

Jumbo lump isn't always the best choice for crab cakes, however. Backfin is a type of crab meat that consists of lump meat mixed with shreds of white body meat. It's more affordable than jumbo lump and still has a sweet, juicy flavor. While some standard shelf-stable store-bought crab meats taste better than others, it's best to avoid these and go for the specialty meats when making crab cakes.

Once you have the meat, an egg is important to bind the crab cake, while breadcrumbs or crushed crackers soak up moisture. To enhance the flavor, you can add elements like sea salt, Old Bay seasoning, or Dijon mustard, and a little mayonnaise for flavor and richness.