How to Make Crab Cakes

Crab cakes aren't a way to hide bland or watery crab. In the best cakes, the sweet, clean flavor of the seafood shines.

The binder plays a big role. Breadcrumbs and egg should bind the seafood lumps in a nice patty that holds its shape and crisps nicely. Too much binder yields those dry, dense cakes we've all encountered. Too little, and everything falls apart in the pan. Here we've nailed the filler-to-seafood ratio and perfected a shaping method. These cakes are so tasty, they don't even need sauce: A simple squeeze of lemon or lime does the trick. –Christine Burns Rudalevige

Combine all ingredients except seafood. Then add seafood, and stir gently just until it's incorporated.

Wet hands with cold water and work quickly to keep the seafood mixture from sticking as you form the balls.

Spread breading in a shallow dish, and roll each ball in the mixture; flatten balls into cakes. You can do this up to a day ahead.