Crab cakes definitely fall into a category of food I love to eat, but hate to pay for in restaurants. They almost always feel too expensive to order (see also: shrimp cocktail). Luckily for me, they’re way more cost-effective to make at home, and pretty quick and easy to prepare.
You can use panko breadcrumbs here, but I’m partial to crushed saltine crackers. Either way, this recipe only uses just enough to hold the cakes together (no bready texture here!). It’s really all about the crab. And speaking of crab, I know “jumbo lump” would sound like an upgrade, but I really don’t think it’s a necessary splurge here. Regular lump crab has big enough pieces to showcase the delicious crab texture, and I personally think it holds together much better when forming the cakes. Obviously, you can do whatever you want, but I don’t think it’s worth the extra money.
