Crab Cakes for 100 People

“You never know when you’re going to want to have a real down-home party with crab cakes for everyone,” says our favorite well remembered local caterer, Miss Kitty—-as written in her legendary cookbook. With Labor Day right around the corner, and if there’s a bit of energy now that the edge is off the long, hot summer, this might be just the recipe you’re looking for. Down our way this would probably be a two-day operation, with all hands-on-deck. The crab mixture is either baked in clean clam or scallop shells or made into cakes to bake. This is a regional recipe—so the chopped green peppers and celery seeds might be optional for you—to individual taste. Although this recipe has no filler, if you like a more substantial crab cake, add some breadcrumbs or crushed saltine crackers.

• 18 lbs of crabmeat, thoroughly picked for shells and cartilage
• 3 dozen hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 4 ½ cups mayonnaise
• 4 ½ cups milk or half-and-half
• 5 tblsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 tsps red pepper powder
• 4 tsp salt
• Juice of 8 lemons
• 16 beaten eggs
• 8 green peppers, chopped (optional)
• 3 tsp celery seeds (optional)
Melt 4 ½ cups butter—add enough breadcrumbs to make a light crumbly mixture—
Combine all ingredients except breadcrumbs—make into cakes or put in cleaned shells—
Roll crab cakes in crumbs, or top crab-filled shells with crumbs—
Bake on lined cookie sheets in 350’ oven for about ½ hour, ‘til crispy–

The Kitchen Hive