Perfect Maryland Crab Cakes

Trim the crusts from the bread; discard, or reserve for another use. Tear
the remaining bread into little pieces (about 20 pieces per slice); handle
the bread lightly, so the pieces remain fluffy and don’t flatten out. Place
the bread pieces in a bowl, and sprinkle them with the wine; toss lightly
to distribute the wine evenly.

Pick over the backfin and the jumbo lump crabmeat to remove any bits of
shell. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the backfin and jumbo lump
crabmeat. Season to taste with salt and with Maryland crab seasoning. Add
the soaked bread, beaten eggs, lemon juice, and melted butter; toss
lightly, making sure to keep the crab lumps whole. Add the mayonnaise, and
toss the mixture gently with your hands, distributing the mayonnaise
evenly. Taste again for seasoning, if desired (if you don’t want to taste
raw egg, you can saute a bit of the mixture in butter). For even better
flavor, allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.

When you are ready to cook, place a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan over
medium-high heat; the pan should have enough room for 3 crab cakes. Add
enough lard and vegetable oil (in fifty-fifty production) to create a
1-inch depth of oil. When the oil is medium-hot, quickly shape 1/2 the crab
mixture with your hands into 3 cakes, each roughly the size and shape of a
large hamburger. Gently place the cakes in the oil, making sure to preserve
their shapes. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the cakes are golden on one
side. Flip them carefully with a spatula, and fry on the other side for 3
to 4 minutes. After about 8 minutes, the cakes should be golden brown on
all sides and heated through (you want the pieces of bread inside to
virtually disappear). Remove the cakes from the pan, and place them on
paper towels. Repeat and make 3 more cakes with the remaining mixture.

Yield: 6 crab cakes, enough for 6 first courses or 3 main courses