Maryland-Style Crab Cakes with Basil Mayonnaise

The prep takes a while—about 45 minutes—so there’s ample time to catch up on everything. This is the perfect dinner for a leisurely evening with people you love—and enjoy listening to.

MAKES: 6 to 8 crab cakes; serves 3 to 4

INGREDIENTS:

BASIL MAYONNAISE

• Salt
• 40 fresh whole basil leaves
• 1½ cups mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne

CRAB CAKES

• 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked free of shells
• ½ cup reserved mayonnaise mixture
• ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2⅔ cups dry white bread crumbs
• 6 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• ⅔ cup finely chopped onion
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Fill a medium saucepan with water. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add the basil and cook over high heat for 30 seconds (this quick plunge in boiling water is called blanching). Drain.
   Immediately transfer the leaves to a large bowl of ice water. Drain, wiping out the bowl. Pat the basil dry with paper towels. Finely chop the basil.
2. In the bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and cayenne. Set aside ½ cup of the mayonnaise mixture to use when preparing the crab cakes. Stir the basil into the remaining mayonnaise, and refrigerate the basil mayonnaise to serve with the crab cakes when they’re ready.
3. In a large bowl, carefully stir together the crabmeat, reserved mayonnaise mixture, chives, parsley, and ⅔ cup of bread crumbs, making sure not to break the crab up too much.
4. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat. Add the celery and onion and cook, stirring a few times, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly, then add the celery-onion mixture to the crab mixture and gently combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Form the crab mixture into 6 to 8 cakes. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, until the cakes are firm. (Don’t skip this step; the chilling keeps them from falling apart as they cook.)
6. Place the flour in a small bowl. In another small bowl, whisk the eggs to blend them together. Place the remaining 2 cups bread crumbs in a medium bowl. Line the bowls up next to each other so you can easily dip the crab cakes into one after the other.
7. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Working in two batches, remove half the crab cakes from the refrigerator. Working with one crab cake at a time, coat each one with flour, then dip into the beaten egg, then coat completely with bread crumbs. Add the crab cakes to the hot skillet and cook, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the crab cakes to a plate. Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and repeat the process with the second batch.

MAKE AHEAD:

• These can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve. Reheat for 10 to 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350°F. Serve with basil mayonnaise.