Crab cakes

Serves 4

The best crab cakes taste like sweet, briny crab and not much else. From Florida to New Jersey, most crab lovers are eating blue crabs and seasoning anything crabby with Old Bay Seasoning. Utz, the chip company, even makes a crab flavor that tastes like the classic spice mix. In New England, blue crabs don't swim our waters, but big Jonah crabs do, usually way offshore. Rock or peekytoe crabs are caught closer to the coast by Maine lobster fishermen. The crabs are boiled and then picked for meat by hand (which makes pretty lumps) or by machine (a stringy mess, but still delicious). Frozen or pasteurized canned crabmeat is cheap and widely available but makes a poor substitute for the fresh stuff, which is more expensive and harder to find. For simple crab cakes, toss fresh meat with mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, and a little flour. That's it. Refrigerate them to set the mixture, then roll the cakes in flour or crumbs, and melt some butter in the big skillet. Taste the crab.

1	pound fresh lump crabmeat
1	tablespoon mayonnaise
1	teaspoon Dijon mustard
2	teaspoons flour
	Salt and pepper, to taste
	Extra flour or fresh bread crumbs (for dredging)
3	tablespoons butter
1/2	cup tartar sauce
1	lemon, cut into wedges

1. In a large bowl gently combine the crabmeat, mayonnaise, mustard, the 2 teaspoons of flour, salt, and pepper. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Form into 4 patties. Line a plate with plastic wrap and put the crab cakes on it. Cover with more plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or for up to 1 day.

2. In a shallow bowl, put the extra flour or fresh bread crumbs for dredging.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Meanwhile, quickly and gently, dredge crab cakes in the flour or crumbs, tapping off the excess. Add the cakes to the skillet.

4. Cook for 8 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, or until both sides are golden brown. Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges. Jonathan Levitt