Posted by BettyBoop50 May 10, 2001

Makes 10 cakes, 2-inches each

Crab Cakes
1 1/2 cups cracker meal (found near bread
    crumbs in supermarket)
1/2 cup milk
3 (6 ounce) cans lump white crab, drained very well
A few pinches coarse salt
1 rounded teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon baking powder
Handful chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 stalk celery from heart of stalk, chopped very fine
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 drops hot sauce, such as Tabasco
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, or ranch dressing
1 large egg, beaten
vegetable oil, for frying
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Sauce
1 (14 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained,
    or 3 homemade roasted peppers
6 to 10 drops Tabasco sauce, depending
    on your palate (6 for mild, 10 for hot)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon celery salt, or to taste

To make sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a smooth, a loose paste will form. Set aside.

For crab cakes, place cracker meal in a bowl and moisten with milk. Add crabmeat, salt, Old Bay seasoning, baking powder, parsley, celery, lemon zest, Worcestershire, Tabasco, mayonnaise or dressing, and beaten egg.

Combine crab cake mixture and form into 8 patties. Fry in hot oil (1/2-inch deep) over medium-high heat until golden, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve with lemon wedges and Red Pepper Sauce.