Charleston-Style Pan-Fried Crab Cakes with Field Pea & Cucumber Relish

Instructions

1. 1

   Let's start by building our base. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked field peas or black-eyed peas, 1 cup English cucumber, diced, 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tsp honey. Season with a generous pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss it well and let it sit in the fridge to let those flavors marry while we work on the crab.

   5 min

   Tip: Making the relish first gives the vinegar time to soften the bite of the raw red onion.

2. 2

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup Duke's mayonnaise, 1 large egg, 1 tbsp Creole mustard, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped, and 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning. This is our binder. That little dash of fish sauce is a trick I learned in Charleston—it doesn't taste fishy, it just makes the crab taste more like the ocean.

   3 min

   Tip: Whisk your wet ingredients thoroughly before adding the crab so you don't overwork the meat later.

3. 3

   Here is the most important step in the recipe. Add your 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat, picked over for shells to the binder, then sprinkle over the 1/2 cup crushed buttery crackers. Using a rubber spatula, give it a gentle fold. You want to lift from the bottom and fold over, just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Treat that lump crab like it's made of glass—we want big, beautiful chunks in every bite.

   2 min

   Tip: If the mixture feels too wet, you can add an extra tablespoon of cracker crumbs, but trust the process—less filler means a better cake.

4. 4

   Gently form the mixture into 4 equal-sized patties, packing them just tight enough to hold together. Place them on a parchment-lined plate and slide them into the refrigerator to chill.

   20 min

   Tip: Do not skip the chill time! It hydrates the cracker crumbs and firms up the butter in the mayo, ensuring your delicate cakes don't fall apart in the skillet.

5. 5

   Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp unsalted butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. The oil will keep the butter from burning while giving us that beautiful Southern pan-fried crust. Once the butter is foaming, gently lay the chilled crab cakes in the pan. Pan-fry undisturbed for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden brown and crisp.

   8 min

   Tip: Only flip the crab cakes once. Use a thin fish spatula to get cleanly underneath the crust without breaking the cake.

6. 6

   To serve, spoon a generous mound of the chilled field pea and cucumber relish onto your plates. Gently place a warm, crispy crab cake right on top. The contrast of the hot, rich crab cake and the cool, acidic relish is exactly what a Southern summer lunch should be.

   2 min

   Tip: Serve immediately while the crust is still crispy.