Savannah Crab Cakes by Paula Deen
Is food one of your best memories or highlight of travel? I know we are always looking for great local food, but when you can take a cooking class from the famous Paula Deen, that’s even better. This was several years ago, but I came away with great memories and recipes. Crab Cakes – one of our favorite foods, at home, or maybe try at a restaurant. This Savannah Crab Cake recipe is a winner in my family, and sure it will be for your families’s as well.
I can be picky about things like Crab Cakes or Alfredo Sauce at restaurants since I LOVE my recipes for these so much. My husband isn’t a real seafood lover, but this is something he will eat. You can find my Alfredo Sauces below.
Savannah Crab Cake Cooking Class with Paula Deen
In the summer of 2004, we had a great vacation in Savannah and Tybee Island. But one of the highlights for me was attending a cooking class with Paula Deen. She had just married Michael and was still in the beginning stages of her empire.
When I saw a class being held the week I was visiting, I had to go. Plus, to my delight it was about seafood. Even then it wasn’t cheap, but I knew it was probably a once in a lifetime chance. It was held in the basement of The Lady & Sons Restaurant in downtown Savannah and was a small, intimate group. What you saw on TV is what she was in person, along with Jamie, Michael, and Aunt Peggy. There was time for speaking to all of these, autographs and photos.
The restaurant closed recently taking away one of the more popular restaurants when visiting the Savanah or Tybee Island area. We ate there a couple times and always enjoyed it and thought the food was good.
This class and recipe even got me a feature in our local newspaper.
Savannah Crab Cake Recipe
Crab Cake Mixture
- 3 T butter
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- ½ C finely chopped bell pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 ½ t heavy cream
- ¼ C mayonnaise
- ½ C panko crumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 T fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lb fresh crabmeat (if any juice – drain)
- Juice of ½ lemon
Coating Mixture
Approximately 3/4 cup each
- Parmesan cheese
- Panko crumbs
- 3 T butter
- 3 T olive oil
Melt butter in skillet – saute’ onion, garlic and green pepper until peppers are limp. Do not brown. Place in mixing bowl and cool. Add cream and mustard and mix well. Add cracker crumbs, egg, parsley, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Mix well. Gently fold in crab meat, being careful to not crush it. Form into patties.
Mix together Parmesan cheese and cracker crumbs. Gently coat each patty in this mixture. Refrigerate about 2 hours to firm up or until you are ready to use.
Fry on medium heat in the butter and olive oil about 3 minutes per side.
NOTES:
If the mixture is a bit too thin to form patties, add a few more crumbs but be careful not to add too many since you want the taste of crab and not panko filling
Using a mixture of butter and olive oil gives it a bit more flavor plus the olive oil helps prevent the butter from browning and burning too easily
These can also be made into small balls to use as appetizers, 1” – 1 ½”
Depending on the wetness of your patty, you might need a bit more cheese and cracker crumbs for coating. You don’t really want the coating too heavy
Shore is Good Seafood Dip
Another recipe which came out of this class was this Seafood Dip – another family favorite even for my non-seafood loving husband. This is made with a lot of shrimp and crab.
Savannah Crab Cakes by Paula Deen
This is a version of a crab cake I got the recipe from during a Paula Deen Cooking Class several years ago. It's very close to her own, but I made it my own. Hope you enjoy all the great crab flavor.
Ingredients
- Crab Cakes
- 3 T butter
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- ½ C finely chopped bell pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 ½ t heavy cream
- ¼ C mayonnaise
- ½ C panko crumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 T fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lb fresh crabmeat (if any juice - drain)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Coating
- Approximately 3/4 cup each
- Parmesan cheese
- Panko crumbs
- 3 T butter
- 3 T olive oil
Instructions
- Crab Cakes
Melt butter in skillet
Add onions, garlic and green pepper and saute’ until peppers are limp, but not brown
Place this mixture in medium mixing bowl to cool
After cool, add cream and mustard, mix well
Add panko crumbs, egg, parsley, mayonnaise, and lemon juice, mix well
Gently fold in crab meat, being careful not to crush the crab meat.
Form into 2” patties
Coating
Mix Parmesan cheese and panko crumbs in bowl
Coat each patty in this mixture
Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or freeze about 30 minutes until ready to cook
Fry on medium heat in the butter and olive oil mixture
Cook approximately 3 minutes per side
Drain on rack or paper towels
Refrigerate any leftovers up to 3 days
Notes
If the mixture is a bit too thin to form patties, add a few more crumbs but be careful not to add too many since you want the taste of crab and not panko filling
Using a mixture of butter and olive oil gives it a bit more flavor plus the olive oil helps prevent the butter from browning and burning too easily
These can also be made into small balls to use as appetizers, 1” – 1 ½”
Depending on the wetness of your patty, you might need a bit more cheese and cracker crumbs for coating. You don't really want the coating too heavy
I’ve included affiliate links to Amazon for you to find some products easier. I may receive a small commission, but the price is the same for you. It just helps my blog out.
Happy Travels,
Rosemary
These sound delicious! I’ll have to try them sometime. I’m craving seafood (and warmer weather!).
I love crab cakes!! Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Oh these are really good because you taste the crab and not all the filler stuff.
Oh these look so fantastic! YUM! Perfect comfort food for this weather 🙂
I would love to have you link up at Thursday STYLE tonight. The link goes live at 8 EST at Life in Velvet. I’m working on getting some great representation from the fabulous Atlanta Area Home/DIY Bloggers FB Group at my weekly party 🙂 I want to show off to everyone how amazing our group is!
Let me look for tonight – sound like fun. I’m sending you an email.
Oooooh!!! I want these in my mouth RIGHT NOW! Pinned.
Me too – these are really good.
I need to make a trip out to Tybee Island again. I went to Savannah a couple years ago for my Birthday and we then stopped by {what we thought was} Tybee to check out the beach…. the sand was littered with trash and the water was mud brown and looked so bad we were scared to walk in it, ha. Everyone we talked to said we must have gone to the wrong part or something and we didn’t see the pier that comes up when you google it. Don’t know where our navigation took us but I don’t think it was Tybee, lol.
We always go to the area just right as you get into town. I’ve never driven that far to the pier. In fact, the last time we were there part of it was closed due to Miley Cyrus filming a movie. There’s a great place to eat, Crab Shack, on the right before you get to the beach area. Really rustic but fun.
What a neat experience! I adore Tybee Island. That’s where my hubby and I got engaged and married. We go back several times a year–I WILL own a place there one day! (In fact, we’re going next month!) Thanks for sharing the recipe!!!
When you get that place, let me know. I’m hoping to make a quick weekend down there before it gets too hot. The older I get the less I hate extreme hot and cold. I love early mornings and evening walks on the beach. Hope you try the Crab Cakes.
Wow, sounds amazing (the crab cakes too!) Thanks for sharing!
Hope you try both of these. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Wish we could get goo crab here in Texas to make these. I just love crb cakes with fresh crab and these sound awesome!
Oh I have never used fresh crab since we can’t really get it here too. Even most crab legs have previously been frozen. There’s some that comes in a can that we use which is really good, but I’m hoping when we go to the Georgia beaches next month to bring home some fresh.
Another fantastic recipe. I would love to take a cooking class from Paula Deen. She seems to be a “hoot” as my grandmother would say. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I hope you try it. It was fun taking a class and hope she does them again. Meeting her and Michael again this weekend in Pigeon Forge was great fun and the show was good too. If there’s one in your area you should try to go. Thanks for stopping by.
another great looking recipe, thank you for sharing
What a gorgeous idea! We absolutely love crab cakes! Definitely need to try these!