Eastern Shore Lump Crab Cakes with Pickled Corn Relish and Old Bay Beurre Blanc

Recipe by Chris Schlesinger / Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

For my crab cakes I like to use the jumbo lump blue crab with as little filler as possible: saltines, eggs, mayo, a touch of lemon juice and parsley.

Serves 4, 2 cakes per person

FOR THE CRAB CAKES:
2 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
2½ tablespoons mayonnaise
juice from 1 lemon
1 pound lump crab meat
½ cup crushed saltine crackers
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

FOR THE PICKLED CORN RELISH:
½ cup lime juice
1 cup champagne vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 seeded thinly sliced fresno pepper
¼ medium-sized red onion, julienned
2 cups raw corn, cut off the cob
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

FOR THE OLD BAY BEURRE BLANC:
1 shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
neutral oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ cup white wine
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
salt to taste

MAKE THE CRAB CAKES: Whisk together the eggs, salt, mayonnaise and lemon juice.

Check crab meat for any shell fragments and gently fold the lump crab meat, chopped parsley and cracker crumbs into the mayonnaise dressing. Try to keep the crab meat as whole as possible.

Form into 8 patties and set aside in the fridge, covered, for 30 minutes. Sear crab cakes in a cast-iron pan until golden brown on both sides and warm all the way through. Serve with a spoonful of cold, pickled corn relish and a drizzle of warm Old Bay Beurre Blanc.

MAKE THE PICKLED CORN RELISH: Mix the fresno pepper, onion, corn and cilantro and place in a mason jar.

Combine lime juice, champagne vinegar, pepper, salt and sugar and bring to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the hot liquid over the corn and vegetables and let sit on the counter for 30 minutes before cooling in the refrigerator.

MAKE THE OLD BAY BEURRE BLANC: Gently sweat shallots and garlic in a tiny bit of oil until translucent. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and white wine.

Add the bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and reduce until almost dry.

Add the cubes of cold butter one at a time, whisking constantly until melted and incorporated into the sauce.

Strain the beurre blanc through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Season with a little bit of salt and the Old Bay.

Set aside in a warm—but not hot—place until ready to serve over the crab cakes.

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2026 issue as part of a larger story: How The Harvest Keeps Its Cool.