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Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

These jumbo lump crab cakes are a special occasion family recipe, made with Saltine crackers, pan-seared slowly in butter, and served with a silky homemade roasted red pepper cream sauce.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

For the Crab Cakes

  • 1 lb jumbo lump crabmeat
  • ½ cup crushed Saltine cracker crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 –6 dashes Tabasco optional
  • ⅓ –½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning optional
  • 3 –4 tablespoons butter for cooking

For the Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

  • 3 large red bell peppers
  • 1 small shallot finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion
  • 1 –2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 –2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
  • ¼ –½ cup heavy cream
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon optional

Instructions
 

Make the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

  • Preheat oven to 450–475°F. Place whole red bell peppers on a baking sheet, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
  • Roast 20–30 minutes, turning once or twice, until skins are blistered and blackened.
  • Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover tightly. Let steam 10–15 minutes. Peel off skins and remove stems and seeds.
  • In a skillet over medium-low heat, sauté shallot and onion in olive oil or butter for 4–5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook 30–60 seconds.
  • Add roasted peppers and sautéed mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth.
  • With blender running, slowly add ¼ cup heavy cream. Blend until silky. Add more cream if needed. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon. Set aside.

Make the Crab Cakes

  • Gently pick through crabmeat to remove any shell pieces, being careful not to break up the lumps.
  • Lightly toss crabmeat with crushed Saltine crumbs.
  • In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard, beaten egg, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and optional Tabasco and Old Bay.
  • Pour mixture over crab and gently fold to combine. Do not overmix.
  • Form into 4 patties. Refrigerate if needed to firm up. Remove from refrigerator a few hours before cooking.
  • Heat butter in a skillet over low to medium heat.
  • Cook crab cakes slowly until golden brown on each side, about 3–4 minutes per side. Do not cook over high heat.

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