Old Bay Panko Crab Cakes
Dedicated to Jennie, Lauren, and Bianca.
Old Bay seasoning (OBS) is from the state of Maryland in the United States of America (USA). This is a herb and spice mix that isn’t readily available in supermarkets in Australia. I was sent a tin from a friend from across the Pacific Ocean and who has a deep an abiding affection for Old Bay seasoning. Her name is Jennie, and she is one of the hosts of the podcast Mouthy Broadcast.
If you enjoy an NSFW podcast characterised by bawdy humour, insightful commentary on life in the USA, and a perspective on Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr Who, DC, Marvel, wrestling, and sandwiches, Mouthy Broadcast may be right up your alley. If you’re not into bawdy humour and swearing, then maybe don’t go there.
In addition to the Old Bay, Lauren, who is also a host on Mouthy Broadcast, sent some Chick-fil-A sauces. Jennie added to the sauces with a zesty buffalo sauce. Lauren is best known as the Sandwich Queen of Fredericksburg. Lauren’s knowledge of sandwiches makes me want to do a sandwich eating holiday in the USA.
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The Crab Cakes
Apparently, one of the most popular things to cook with OBS is crab cakes. I love crab cakes and have enjoyed them mostly when I’ve been at meetings in the USA, especially in Washington, DC, and oddly enough I had some wonderful crab cakes in Dallas, Texas.
I love how eggs Benedict can be served with crab cakes in the USA. I’ve never seen eggs Benedict and crab cakes here in Australia.
I went looking around for recipes for crab cakes and found most require breadcrumbs. Regular readers know I’m trying to maintain a lowish carbohydrate intake. Now, I know there are some low carb breadcrumb substitutes like using finely crushed almonds and other nuts. However, I thought, “stuff it, Jennie sent me this stuff all the way from the east coast of America”, I’m going to enjoy it. So I have used Panko breadcrumbs.
The idea for the chicken skin comes from a workmate, viz., Bianca.
I bought all the ingredients (apart from the OBS) from Coles.
No, Yummy Lummy is not sponsored by anyone.
Recipe
- 1 tin Crab meat
- Old Bay seasoning
- Worcestershire sauce
- Spring onions
- Coriander
- Chives
- Parsley leaves
- Lemon juice
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
- Iodised salt and black pepper
- 1 Egg beaten
- Skin from the thigh of a chicken
- Iodised salt
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Chicken egg
- Chick-fil-A sauce
- Capsicum
- Spring onion
- Red onion
- Daikon radish
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Cherry tomatoes
- Peanuts crushed
- Sunflower seeds
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In a mixing bowl, combine the crab meat, OBS, spring onion, chives, parsley, lemon juice, and mayonnaise.
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Add the egg and panko breadcrumbs and fold in.
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Make cakes with your hands and put on a plate, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
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Remove the cakes from the refrigerator and dust with more OBS.
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Shallow fry in hot oil that has a high vapour point (I'm using rice bran oil)
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Place the cakes on absorbent towels and season to taste.
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Poach an egg
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Chicken skin bit
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Gently and carefully remove the skin from a chicken thigh.
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Keep the thigh meat on the bone for another meal during the week or freeze it for later.
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With your hand flatten the skin on some baking paper.
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Place the baking paper on a thin roasting tray.
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Season the chicken skin with iodised salt and OBS.
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Lay a sheet of baking paper over the top and then put another thin roasting tray on top so some pressure is applied to keep the chicken skin flat to prevent it from curling at the edges.
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Cook in a hot oven for 10 minutes and check.
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If the skin isn't the colour and texture you want, i.e., if it's underdone, put it back into the oven and check every couple of minutes until it's the colour and texture you desire.
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Finely dice some capsicum, red onion, spring onion, and Daikon radish.
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Mixed the diced vegetables in a bowl and add some cherry tomatoes and lemon zest.
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Add a little lemon juice and then mix through some Chick-fil-A sauce.
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Stack two crab cakes and then add a poached egg on top.
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Add the salad around the crab cakes.
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If you're game, with the tip of a sharp paring knife, pierce the egg, and allow the egg yolk to ooze all over the crab cake stack.
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Shoot a photograph and a short video because Google now wants video on recipe cards.
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Eat the meal.
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Wash the dishes (hint, wash as you cook, it makes life easier).
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Write the recipe.
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Write the blog post.
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Hit publish and hope this blog post gets shared on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Recipe Video
Disclaimer
I have no culinary training nor qualifications. This post is not intended to convey any health or medical advice. If you have any health concerns about anything you read, please contact your registered medical practitioner. The quantities are indicative. Feel free to vary the quantities to suit your taste. I deliberately do not calculate energy for dishes. I deliberately default to 500 Calories or 500,000 calories because I do not make these calculations.
Photographs
This is a gallery of photographs. Click on one image and then scroll through the photographs.
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Questions and answers
What is Old Bay seasoning?
Apparently, this seasoning is meant to bring Summer to a meal. Bring it on I reckon.
Check out the Old Bay website.
This looks like it could be a brunch meal?
I reckon this would be a really nice Sunday brunch meal. It would also be great with a little Hollandaise sauce too.
How was the meal?
It was good. The Old Bay seasoning really adds a different flavour. I quite like it. Now that I’ve tasted it I reckon I might order some from USA Foods
I’m grateful to Jennie and Lauren for helping me with new flavour experiences.
Thanks, Bianca for mentioning chicken skin to me a few times this week.
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Final thoughts
- Have you tried Old Bay seasoning?
- What’s your favourite seasoning to add to your meat?
- If you couldn’t buy a condiment in a local supermarket, would you buy it on-line?
- Do you like crab cakes? Would you like crab cake eggs Benedict?
- How do you feel about crispy chicken skin?
Sponsorship
Yummy Lummy has no sponsors but maintaining a blog isn’t free. If anyone or any company would like to contribute please contact me.
I think you did your tin of Old Bay proud. I agree with you about making an exception when it came to the bread crumbs on this dish.
Thank you very much Karen 😃
I was pretty happy with the result..
I have a tin of Old Bay that is probably out of date but I still hang onto for occasions where I want to make crab cakes!
I’m guessing there’s enough flavours left even if it is ‘out of date’. I’m liking the flavours in Old Bay.
very cool! I’ve heard of Old Bay but haven’t tried it…
It’s worth a go Beck 😃
I love chicken skin! Especially crispy. I should send you some Alaskan salmon seasoning. 😁😁😁😁
Crispy chicken skin is the best Kris. The skin I made was a little salty but it was nice and crisp.
Hi Gary. I love spices on food. I bought some wonderful spices from Pickldit an Aussie company in WA last week. Great flavours available.
Thanks, Sue. It’s nice to be able to experiment with different flavour combinations.
I look forward to seeing how the Old Bay goes with my salmon on Monday evening for dinner.
Haven’t heard of Old Bay Seasoning or crab cakes before before. Looks like you made a good meal out of it, and the chicken skin has got its own time to shine too. Really lik how you poked the egg and took a shot of the yolk oozing out. For seasoning on meat, I like adding paprika to chicken. The other day bought some Masterfoods Steak Seasoning; not too sure what I think about that and might look into other seasonings when I’m done with it. I’ve thought about burger sauce seasonings – but I think these kinds of seasonings are just different kinds of spices mixed together.
Crispy chicken skin all the way.
Thanks, Mabel. I like trying new seasonings. Last year, I found one and added it to a bag of plain popcorn and it worked well.
Patrika often gives me nightmares if I eat it on anything I have for dinner.
The Old Bay seasoning is pretty good. I can see that I can buy it online so I’ll do that when the current tin is finished.
The crispy chicken skin was good and easy to do. It was a bit salty, so next time, I’ll use the salt sparsely.
Really, paprika gives you nightmares 😞 It is such a comment seasoning.
Now you got me wanting to shop for USA spices and marinades 😃😃
Yep and really nasty ones like people split in half and dying in front of me.
I really like the flavours created with marinades and rubs for meats.
Horrible vivid nightmares. Better stick clear of paprika.
Meat rubs can give meat so much flavour. I have yet to discover one that I really love. It is a mission.
It’s good how just some salt and pepper can make a difference.