Recipe: Maryland Crab Cakes

The Chesapeake Bay classic takes on an earthy component in this veggie-rich interpretation.

By Dave McIntyre

The Chesapeake Bay classic crab cake takes on an earthy component in this veggie-rich interpretation from Chef Mark Salter of the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, Maryland.

For the crab cakes:
1 pound Maryland jumbo lump crab
1⁄3 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
3⁄4 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice from half lemon
2 ounces Panko Japanese bread crumbs
Olive oil

For the vegetables:
2 medium-size zucchini
2 medium-size yellow squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and cut into small dice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 large plum tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
Citrus beurre blanc sauce
11⁄2 cups white wine
3 shallots, diced
1⁄2 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
3 tablespoons heavy cream
10 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

For the garnish:
2 ounces toasted pine nuts
2 ounces cleaned arugula
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Make the crab cakes: In a large mixing bowl, mix the mayonnaise, egg, Old Bay seasoning, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. Pick over the crab meat carefully to remove shell traces, and then fold into the mixture. Add the breadcrumbs. Chill mixture for 20 minutes before shaping into 5-ounce cakes. Set aside.

Prepare the vegetables: Trim the zucchini and squash and cut into matchstick-sized batons. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat, then pour in the olive oil. Add the batons of zucchini and squash and sauté for 1– 2 minutes. Add the diced shallot and chopped garlic, followed by the diced tomato and chopped tarragon. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the beurre blanc sauce: In a saucepan, bring to a boil the white wine, shallots, fresh thyme and bay leaf and cook until reduced to 3
tablespoons. Add the heavy cream and bring back to the boil. Remove from heat and slowly add the cubed unsalted butter, whisking constantly after each addition. Finish the sauce with fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Assemble the dish: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sauté the crab cakes in olive oil until lightly browned on each side. Bake cakes in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Place the vegetables in center of plate, arrange crab cake on top and spoon sauce around. Sprinkle some toasted pine nuts on top and garnish with cleaned arugula that has been tossed with olive oil and kosher salt. Serves 4.

Wine Pairing-Chardonnay or Viognier. 

Spaghetti with Clams and a side of Roasted Radicchio

Total time: 25 minutes

Approximate food cost: $27

• 2 medium radicchio
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 pounds cockles (littleneck or manilla clams work too), soaked and scrubbed
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut each radicchio into thin orange-segment type wedges (around 16 pieces each). Lay the pieces on a baking sheet, drizzle them with cooking oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake on the lower rack of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.

2. In a large pot, heat 1 gallon of water over high heat until it boils. Turn down the heat to a low rolling boil and add the pasta and 3 tablespoons of salt. Continue cooking until the pasta is almost al dente, around 6 to 8 minutes, then strain, reserving some of the pasta cooking water.

3. While the pasta is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic begins to get fragrant, around 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine, clams and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently until the clams have opened, around 5 to 6 minutes. Add the cooked spaghetti to the mixture and continue cooking for another 2 minutes while stirring. If the mixture gets too dry, add some of the pasta cooking water half a cup at a time. Turn off the heat, mix in the parsley, then divide between four bowls and serve with a side of roasted radicchio. Serves 4.

Wine Pairing-Italian or Spanish white.

Spring Potpie with Chicken, Potatoes and Asparagus

Approximate food cost: $22
Total time: 45 minutes

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 4 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 cup white wine (whatever you’re drinking will work best)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted

1. In a medium-size pot, heat 4 inches of water over high heat until it boils. Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the chicken breasts and cook until done, around 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and cool, reserving both the chicken and the water. When the chicken is cool, cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

2. While the chicken is cooking, cut the asparagus and potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat, and sauté the minced shallot until it becomes translucent, around 2 minutes. Add the asparagus, cooked chicken and potatoes. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and continue cooking until it has reduced by half. Ladle water that you used to cook the chicken through a strainer and into the pot until the filling has been covered by liquid. Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 7 to 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in the cream. Adjust the seasoning.

3. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Pour the mixture into an oven-safe casserole dish. Cover the dish with the sheet of puff pastry, then cut the edges of the pastry so it lies flat on top of the dish. Brush the top of the pastry with olive oil, prick all over with the tines of a fork, and sprinkle with salt. Place the dish in the oven and cook until the liquid is bubbling on the sides of the pastry, and the pastry has turned golden brown, around 20 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes, and serve. Serves 4.

Wine Pairing-Chardonnay.

Pumpkin Risotto

Earthy, savory flavors in a heartwarming dish

By Eric Guido

Prepping the ingredients

Toasting the pumpkin seeds

Download Recipe

Pumpkin Risotto

Pumpkin Risotto with Peas and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
Serves 4
6 oz. unsalted butter
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 quart of chicken stock
1 cup of water
¼ cup white wine
1 shallot (chopped fine)
16 oz. pumpkin puree
1 1/3 cups risotto rice
3/4 cup peas (can use frozen)
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated fine
3 Tbls. Pumpkin seeds
Salt and pepper
Fresh sage (garnish)
To cook the peas, prepare an ice bath and pour the chicken stock and one cup of water into a pot and bring to a simmer. Pour the peas into the simmering chicken stock and allow them to heat through for four minutes. Then remove them from the pot and place into the ice bath for two minutes before removing them to reserve for later use. Lastly, whisk (10 oz.) of the pumpkin puree into the warm stock and set aside for when you are ready to cook the risotto.
In a sauté pan over a medium-low flame, melt two ounces of butter. Once the butter has melted and come up to temperature, add the pumpkin seeds, cayenne pepper and a hefty pinch of salt. Raise the flame to medium and toss the pumpkin seeds in the butter and pepper mixture. Once the seeds have toasted, pour them into a bowl and keep them in a warm location until ready to use.
When you are ready to make the risotto, place a medium size pan over a medium-low flame. Add two ounces of butter. Once the butter has melted, add the shallots, a pinch of salt and allow the shallots to sweat. When the shallots have sweated and begun to turn translucent, add the rice and stir to coat the rice in butter (if the mixture looks too dry, you can add a little more butter before adding the rice). Raise the flame to medium and continue to stir vigorously for about one to two minutes. However, do not allow the rice or shallots to take on any color. Add the wine and stir it into the rice until it cooks off. Return the flame to medium-low and add the last half (6 oz.) of pumpkin puree and the cinnamon. Stir to combine completely and add your first ladle full of stock.
At this time, the risotto should take anywhere between 17 and 19 minutes to finish, and throughout that time you should be stirring regularly. After adding the ladle of the stock and pumpkin mixture, stir the rice slowly but regularly. Be careful with heat management with this recipe, because the pumpkin puree can burn if not stirred regularly up from the bottom of the pan. As soon as the first ladle of stock has absorbed or evaporated, add another ladle full. Continue like this for 10 – 12 minutes and add a good pinch of salt to the rice. Add more stock and continue to stir. As you approach 16 minutes of cooking time, taste the rice to test the degree of doneness, all the while continuing with the process of adding stock and stirring. At 17 minutes, add the peas, stir in completely and taste again for doneness.
When the rice is done (al dente), add the Parigiano Reggiano cheese and last two ounces of butter. Stir to combine completely and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. (Seasoning is what really brings out the pumpkin flavor in this recipe. Without it, it will seem bland.) If the rice seems too thick, add a little more stock to loosen it up.
Plate the risotto into warmed bowls and top with the toasted pumpkin seeds and a rough chop of sage leaves. Serve.

Wine Pairing-Italian red.