Perfect Crab Cakes

- serves 4 as a generous main course or 8 as an appetizer -

Adapted from The Dean & Deluca Cookbook by David Rosengarten, Joel Dean, and Giorgio Deluca

Ingredients

Canola or safflower oil for oiling the baking sheet
3/4 cup thick mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 pounds lump crabmeat, picked over to remove cartilage
Lemon wedges as an accompaniment

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, and egg in a mixing bowl until combined well. (I realize now that the last time I made these, I seasoned lightly with salt and pepper at this point. It seemed odd to me that it wasn't part of the instructions. I don't know if it made a big difference or not.) Gently fold in the crab with a rubber spatula until just combined.
3. Gently form the mixture into eight 1-inch thick cakes and transfer to the baking sheet.
4. Bake the crab cakes for 15 minutes or so, or until lightly golden. Run a spatula under them once or twice to make sure they’re not sticking. When the cakes are ready, put them under a preheated broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they’re lightly browned on top. Remove from broiler and let stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.