Crabcakes....Baltimore Style

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Enigma Crab Cakes:
I have made these since I was a kid with my grandmother and greatgrandmother.....and then after waitressing in many Seafood Houses along the Atlantic Coast and tha Baltimore Harbor, I altered the receipe over the years.

WHAT YOU NEED:
Crab ( 16 oz. prepicked Lump and canned- Fresh)
One Mini Heinken
One tin of Old Bay Seasoning *Critical*
One Egg
Hungarian Paprika
Garlic Powder ( NOT salt)
Parmesan Cheese ( the powdery kind)
One jar of Mayo
Dijon Mustard
Box of Ritz Crackers
Buttered Glass baking pan

(1) In a bowl mix the Crab and even it's canned juices, with cup of mayo, 2 teaspoons mustard, and one tablespoon of Beer.
(2) In a seperate Bowl, Bowl A, crush up about 30 Ritz Crakers, nice and fine, then add a dusting of Old Bay, and some garlic powder, and some paprika...
(3) Now crush up some more crackers, about 20 and add them to the Wet mixture and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese( the powder kind), just sprinkle lightly.
(4) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
(5) Now take the crab and measure with your hands, and make balls gently molded with your hands.
(6) Once you have molded, then roll in Cracker Bowl until the ball is fully covered with crackers, then place in the baking pan.
(7) If mixture is too wet, don't be shy about adding crushed crackers to the Wet Bowl.
(8) Make the balls, and place in circle and in pan ,so there is space between to cook.Sprinkle more Old Bay lightly across the top.
(9) One can makes approximately 8 Crab Cakes.
(10) Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes.

Serve with salad, tomato aspic, potato salad, and garlic bread......and fruit...

* Background: This is a 4th Generation Baltimore Reciepe, handed down through the women of my family. Grandmother Flo taught me...she would stand in the kitchen and crack open a Heiniken and my grandfather would come and stand and nibble on the crackers and the crab and drink a beer, and she would put on Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole and then they would slow dance while they baked....and I would sit and soak in the smell of the Baking Crab and Heiniken....Old Bay wafting on a warm summer night still melts my heart....
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8.11.08....Please make them this week and have a cold beer with them ...Toast Phelps and Baltimore !!!