On our Road Trip last August, my husband Zeke and I were on the quest to find THE BEST CRAB CAKES in Maryland. We found them at World Famous Faidley’s in Lexington Market in Baltimore. Zeke loved them so much that he found the recipe online (Food.com) and made them for me in the Keys. They were delicious and this recipe, unlike Faidley’s norm, can be broiled instead of fried, making them much healthier.

Last week it was our friend Brooks’s birthday and we invited him, his wife Sharon and her mom Connie over for dinner to celebrate. Connie grew up in Havre de Grace, outside of Baltimore and loves crab cakes so much her brother sends her a batch every birthday from her favorite restaurant. She had told us where to get them in Maryland and we thought it was Faidley’s; Zeke was dying for her to try his version, but with the Pandemic we hadn’t had a chance to see her.

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This was a simple dinner.

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The appetizer was a crab dip we’d had at Marker 88, that the waiter wrote down for me, served with pita chips and sliced veggies. Sides were coleslaw (Shorty’s), cucumber salad (with cucumbers and dill from my garden), Connie’s delicious potato salad and boiled corn on the cob. The crab cakes were served with lemon wedges and homemade tartar sauce. Dessert was Key Lime pie I made with a prepared graham cracker crust. I did decorate the top with fresh whipped cream and sugared cranberries.

Everyone enjoyed the crab cakes and dinner. Ironically, we found out that Faidley’s wasn’t the restaurant Connie had recommended (it was H & M) but she pronounced these crab cakes as good as her favorites. Zeke bought the crabmeat at Publix. He bought Claw crab meat for the dip and Lump (the most expensive) for the crab cakes. This comes in a plastic container, in the refrigerated section of the grocery store (not in a can).

Although this recipe says “These take a while to make, but are worth it”, I think the recipe is quite easy.

FAIDLEY’S WORLD FAMOUS CRAB CAKES from Food.com

• 1 lb lump crabmeat, picked over
• 1 cup crushed saltines (put in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 dash Tabasco sauce

TARTAR SAUCE

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickle (or dill relish)
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon pickle juice

DIRECTIONS

Crab cakes: Spread the crab meat out on a flat pan and sprinkle the crushed saltines over the top.

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire and tabasco.

Pour the mayonnaise over the crab mat and gently toss or fold the ingredients together, taking care not to break up the lumps of crab meat.

Let the mixture 2 – 3 minutes before forming the cakes.

Form the cakes by hand or with an ice cream scoop into 8 mounds about 3″ in diameter and 3/4″ thick.

Do NOT pack the mixture too firmly.

The cakes should be as loose as possible, yet still hold their shape.

Place the cakes on a tray or platter lined with parchment paper, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cooking.

Tartar sauce: In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, dill pickles, onion, parsley and dill pickle juice. Chill for at least 1 hour.

To broil: Slip them under a preheated broiler until nicely browned, turning to cooke evenly about 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

Serve at once with tartar sauce on the side.

Makes 4 servings.

I wish I would’ve thought to take a photo of our group but it’s hard to take a selfie when you’re staying 6 feet apart!