Description
This Crab Cake Scampi recipe offers a delectable blend of lump crab meat combined with savory seasonings, formed into crispy golden crab cakes, and bathed in a rich garlic butter and white wine sauce. Perfectly paired with pasta or crusty bread, this dish brings a refined, Italian-inspired American flavor to your table, ideal for seafood lovers seeking a restaurant-quality meal at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Crab Cakes
- 1 pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Scampi Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and black pepper to taste
To Serve
- Cooked pasta or crusty bread
Instructions
- Prepare Crab Cake Mixture: In a large bowl, gently combine the lump crab meat, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, lightly beaten egg, finely chopped green onions, Dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, and garlic powder. Mix carefully to avoid breaking up the crab meat. Shape the mixture into 8 small, even crab cakes.
- Cook Crab Cakes: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crab cakes in batches, cooking for 3–4 minutes on each side until they turn golden brown and are heated through. Remove them from the skillet and set aside, keeping them warm.
- Make Scampi Sauce: In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, making sure not to burn the garlic. Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pan, simmering for 2–3 minutes until the wine reduces slightly.
- Add Final Flavors: Stir in the fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley, and season the sauce with salt and black pepper according to taste. Return the cooked crab cakes to the skillet and spoon the warm scampi sauce over them to coat thoroughly.
- Serve: Serve the crab cakes hot over your choice of cooked pasta or alongside crusty bread to soak up the delicious scampi sauce.
Notes
- For a richer, creamier sauce, add a splash of heavy cream during the last step of the sauce preparation.
- Fresh lump crab meat is recommended for the best flavor, but well-drained canned or refrigerated crab meat can be used as a convenient alternative.
- Ensure to pick through the crab meat carefully to remove any shells before mixing.
- Use dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio for the best sauce flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 crab cakes with sauce
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 740mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
