Dungeness Crab Cakes with Brown Butter

Pan-fried Dungeness crab cakes with oyster-cracker crusts, crisp late-summer green beans, and lemon-caper brown butter make an elegant New England–inspired dinner in under an hour.

Total time: 50 min
Servings: 2 servings
Estimated total cost: $23
Calories per serving: 850 cal
Stovetop

Ingredients

Whole Cooked Dungeness Crab
2 lb $9.99
Fresh Bagged Green Beans
12 oz $2.19
Fresh Organic Lemon
1 $1.29
Oyster crackers, finely crushed
1/2 cup
Large egg
1
Mayonnaise
3 tbsp
Dijon mustard
1 tsp
Fresh chives, finely chopped
2 tbsp
Seafood seasoning
1/2 tsp
Kosher salt
1 tbsp plus 1/8 tsp
Black pepper
3/8 tsp
Water
6 cups
Unsalted butter
6 tbsp
Neutral cooking oil
2 tbsp
Capers, drained
1 tbsp
Kendall-Jackson Unoaked Avant Chardonnay California White Wine
1 bottle (750 ml) $11.99

Instructions

1.
Wash 1 lemon, finely grate 1 teaspoon zest, and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice; keep the prepared zest and juice separate.
2.
Pick all the meat from 2 pounds Whole Cooked Dungeness Crab, checking carefully for shell fragments. You should have about 8 ounces crabmeat; pat it gently with paper towels so the cakes hold together.
3.
Make the crab-cake mixture by gently folding together the crabmeat and:
- 1/3 cup finely crushed oyster crackers
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon prepared lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon prepared lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
- 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Avoid breaking up the crab more than necessary.
4.
Form the crab-cake mixture into 4 compact patties about 3/4 inch thick. Coat them with 1/6 cup finely crushed oyster crackers, place on a plate, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
5.
While the cakes chill, bring 6 cups water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to a boil in a wide saucepan. Add 12 ounces Fresh Bagged Green Beans and cook for 4 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender; drain thoroughly.
6.
Melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the blanched green beans and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, then sauté for 2 to 3 minutes; transfer the finished beans to two warmed plates.
7.
Heat 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chilled crab cakes and pan-fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning carefully, until deeply golden and hot in the center. Transfer 2 cakes to each plate.
8.
Pour off the frying fat and carefully wipe out the skillet. Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, swirling, until golden and nutty. Add 1 tablespoon drained capers and 1 tablespoon prepared lemon juice; swirl for 30 seconds to make the lemon-caper brown butter.
9.
Spoon the lemon-caper brown butter over and around the crab cakes, keeping their crisp tops visible, and serve immediately with the green beans.

Drink pairing: A chilled Chardonnay has enough richness for the brown butter while staying bright beside the sweet crab and lemon.

Wine picks:

Kendall-Jackson Unoaked Avant Chardonnay California White Wine $11.99 1 bottle (750 ml)
La Crema Monterey Chardonnay California White Wine $14.99 1 bottle (750 ml)

Why it works: A polished Chardonnay pairing suits the sweet Dungeness crab and lemon-caper butter: choose a bottle with enough texture for the brown butter, but refreshing acidity to lift the crisp cakes and green beans. The unoaked option keeps the seafood especially bright; the Sonoma Coast selection adds a more luxurious, subtly creamy counterpoint.

Careme