Community Cookbook: Lobster Joint’s Crab Cakes

Lobster Joint (1073 Manhattan Ave.) recently debuted a new summer menu, perfect for enjoying in the restaurant’s idyllic outdoor patio during these warmer months. In addition to lobster rolls, the summer menu features a variety of seafood dishes, including crab cakes. 

Lobster Joint has shared their recipe for their popular crab cakes below. Co-owner Steven Costello said this is one of Lobster Joint’s favorite menu items.

Costello also explained that Lobster Joint uses a blend of lump crabmeat with jumbo lump crabmeat “which gives you those nice big pieces of crab!” The recipe below produces four to six crab cakes. 

See the previous Community Cookbook recipe here.

Lobster Joint’s Crab Cakes

Ingredients

1 pound (or one can) of lump crabmeat

1/2 cup of tartar sauce (you can substitute mayo if necessary)

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1 egg

1/2 cup of diced red pepper

1/4 cup of diced red onion

1/3 of a sleeve of saltine crackers, crushed finely

1 tablespoon of Frank’s Red Hot

1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning 

1 teaspoon of diced parsley (can use dry if fresh is not available)

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Pinch of salt and pepper

Butter for cooking

Lemon for serving

Directions

1. Saute red peppers and onions in a pan with a little butter until softened, around 3-4 minutes, and then set aside to cool.

2. Add all ingredients with the exception of crab and saltines to a bowl and mix well.

3. Add saltines to bowl and fold in.

4. Drain and add crab meat to bowl, carefully folding in by hand to avoid breaking the crabmeat. (You should have a loose mixture, that will stick together and isn’t too runny. If it seems runny, like you wouldn’t be able to shape cakes, add a little more of the saltines. If it seems too tight or dry, add a little tartar sauce or mayo.)

5. Shape cakes by hand, pretty much any size you want, as long as they are not more than 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick.

6. Heat a saute pan or griddle and add a little butter.

7. Carefully brown both sides of the crab cakes (around 3-4 min on each side, depending on pan temperature).

8. Serve immediately with some lemon and tartar sauce on the side. (If you want to get fancy, whip up a coleslaw for the side!)