Preparation
- For the sauce, mix the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, red onion and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and chill until serving.
- Mix the eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, salt, celery and parsley well in a large bowl.
- Check the crab meat for bits of shell, add it to the mixture with the panko and fold in gently with a spatula without breaking up the meat.
- Shape the mixture into 6 cakes (about half a cup, roughly 120 ml, each), place on a foil-lined baking tray and chill, covered, for at least 1 hour so they firm up.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and cover the base with oil. Fry the cakes for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown; be careful, as the oil can spit.
- Serve warm with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
Drink with it
White wine · excellent match
Sauvignon Blanc or lightly oaked Chardonnay, cool
The acidity cuts through the mayonnaise and frying fat, and the citrus notes pick up the lemon and mustard in the tartar sauce.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosingPale lager · excellent match
American lager or pils, ice cold
The drink of choice with crab and Old Bay in Maryland: fizz and light bitterness lift the crust and let the sweetness of the crab meat shine.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?London dry gin · excellent match
London Dry gin as a gin and tonic with a slice of lemon, plenty of ice
Crab and seafood are among the best partners for a London Dry: juniper and citrus pick up the lemon, mustard and Old Bay, and the bitterness of the tonic cleanses after mayonnaise and fried crust.
London Dry Gin: does it have to come from London?Sparkling wine · good match
Crémant or Champagne, brut
Bubbles and acidity clear the fat from the fried crust and refresh after the sauce.
Sparkling wine, Champagne, and Prosecco: what's the difference?