Cannonball House and Crab Cakes: My St. Michaels Story
15 Years of Flavors, and Memories from the Heart of Maryland’s Crab Country
I was a lucky guy; I bought my dream house, The Cannonball House, right in the heart of historic St. Michaels, MD. For many years, I filled its rooms with friends and family, all drawn to the warm, easy charm of that old house and the promise of good food and wine. Crab cakes became my calling card—a recipe that seemed to capture everything I loved about life on the Chesapeake Bay. My Crab Cakes are chunky, very little filler, and the size of a small baseball. There was something magical about those evenings: the sound of laughter echoing from the garden to the kitchen, the smell of crab and Old Bay drifting across the harbor, and the comfort of sharing simple, unforgettable moments. These crab cakes are more than just a dish—they’re a tradition, a memory, and a little taste of the luck I found in St. Michaels.
Types of Crab Meat
Jumbo Lump: Jumbo lump crab meat is off-white and comes from the crab’s swimmer fin muscles. Crabs only have 2 of these muscles, so you need a lot of crabs to make a serving of jumbo lump crab meat. This is why it’s the most expensive type. It’s very sturdy and is wonderful served alone or as a topping for dishes or salads.
Lump: Lump crab meat is also off-white, but a bit smaller than jumbo lump. It’s still very sturdy and flavorful. It comes from the body of a crab and is ideal for chunky crab cakes.
Backfin: Backfin crab meat, also known as flake crab meat, is off-white too. It also comes from the body of a crab. The term “backfin” can also include the broken pieces of lump crab meat. It’s flakier than big lumps of crab meat.
Claw: Claw meat is darker than the other types of crab meat. It’s not as sweet, but it has a stronger flavor. Claw meat is the least expensive and is ideal for soups, dips, and stews.
Ingredients
Egg: Egg is the main binding ingredient in crab cakes.
Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise is another binding ingredient. I don’t like mayonnaise and I LOVE these crab cakes, so if you aren’t a mayo person, don’t worry. You can’t taste it.
Fresh Parsley: Fresh herbs are a MUST in crab cakes. Sometimes recipes or restaurants use dill, but fresh parsley is most common. If needed, you can use dried parsley.
Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is another must-have ingredient in crab cakes. I don’t recommend any other type of mustard—just dijon.
Worcestershire Sauce: Just a small amount provides big flavor, just as it does in chicken meatballs, black bean burgers, and beer cheese dip.
Old Bay Seasoning: What is Maryland crab without locally made Old Bay seasoning???
Lemon Juice & Salt: Fresh, balancing flavors.
Crab Meat: The leading role in the whole recipe.
Cracker Crumbs: Drumroll please… the filler in this crab cake recipe is cracker crumbs. There is so much debate on what the best filler is and, trust me, some of the best crab cakes are made with CRACKERS! See more below.
Directions
Whisk the flavors and binders together.
Add the crab meat & filler.
Very gently mix together: Fold the ingredients together slowly and carefully. If over-mixed, the lump crab meat will break apart.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes: This is a key step in the recipe. Make sure the crab cake mixture is cold before you shape it into individual cakes. There is little filler in this recipe, so the cakes will fall apart if the mixture is not refrigerated before cooking.
Grease baking pan & preheat oven. The oven gets pretty hot, so I don’t recommend using parchment paper. Grease the pan or use a silicone baking mat.
Portion into cakes: Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop and portion out the mixture. Form into individual cakes. Place on the greased baking sheet.
Bake: Bake the cakes on very high heat for about 12–14 minutes
This recipe repost is from Sallys Baking Addiction