The crab might not farewell in a sea critter beauty contest, but under that frightful, stonelike exterior lies some of the salt-water kingdom’s most rewarding treasures —succulent and sweet crabmeat.

Getting to that crabmeat can be quitea job, but you can avoid the mallet and crab-crackers routine by making crab-cakes with excellent-quality, ready-to-use crabmeat. Most supermarkets carry a packaged crabmeat that will help create an out-of-the-ordinary product. The secret is in recognizing what raises acrabcake’s quality.

James Michener knew what made a great crabcake. He spent close to five years along Maryland’s eastern shore doing research for his epic novel Chesapeake. In an interview in the early1990s, when he was 85 and teaching at the University of Texas, he referred to the Maryland crabcake as one of the great dishes of the world.

Lump or backfin?

What a crabcake really ought to have,he said, is at least a couple of pieces of lump crabmeat in it. Michener liked a ratio of about 60 percent shredded (orbackfin) and 40 percent lump. Actually,60 percent lump crabmeat and 40 percent backfin is even better. I use mostly all lump, with just a bit of backfin for texture. The choice is yours, but don’t go less than 40 percent lump.

Michener, a longtime Bucks County resident who died in 1997, said his love affair with crabcakes began when he was a student at Swarthmore College and tried some in Philadelphia.

“I used to sail on the Chesapeake and try to knock off a crabcake now and then,” he recalled. “The good ones were expensive, but had more real crabmeat in them. I couldn’t afford them often,but when I had one, it was superior.”

The Eastern Shore’s best

Michener’s favorite homemade crab-cake back in his Chesapeake days was made by Mary Inglis, who lived in Oxford, Md. I spoke with her in 1992, when she was 85. The author’s framed letter, calling her crabcakes the Eastern Shore’s best, sat atop the buffet in her bayside home.

Before tackling her recipe, keep several steps in mind because, even with the best ingredients, crabcake preparation can be frustrating. Be sure to pick over the crabmeat to be sure all shell and cartilage are removed. Always mix the non-crabmeat ingredients before adding the crabmeat, and gently fold in the crabmeat. When forming the crabcakes, use as little pressure as possible.

Then, place them on a plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigeratefor at least one hour. (This helps keep the crabcakes intact when you pan-fryor sauté them.)

James Michener’s
Favorite Crabcakes