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Classic Crabcakes at Mike's Crabhouse
3030 Riva Road, Riva
410-956-2784
Mikescrabhouse.com
Photos by Tony Lewis, Jr. r
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It's no surprise that at a restaurant with “crabhouse” in its name that crab is the number one seller. However, it might just surprise you exactly how much crab the restaurant goes through in one day. Case in point: On the day we visited Mike's Crabhouse, an eatery on the banks of the South River with picturesque views, Chef Athanasis Piera was mixing together crabcakes using 24 pounds of crabmeat, which would make a total of 115 cakes—but it only just might last the restaurant through the lunch hour. Here, Chef Piera shows us how to make the popular entrée, a favorite at the restaurant since it opened in 1958.
What's Up?: How did your culinary career begin?
Chef Piera: I was born into the restaurant business. My favorite place to be is the kitchen.
WU: How did you come to work at this restaurant?
CP: It’s a family restaurant that was opened in 1958 by my dad, Michael Athanasis Piera.
WU: What’s your favorite kitchen tool?
CP: My hands!
WU: What’s your favorite and least favorite food?
CP: My favorite is a fresh fish, barramundi, and my least favorite is pasta.
WU: What do you like most about your job?
CP: Making sure the customers are satisfied.
WU: Is there a particular beverage that goes well with this dish?
CP: A good wine to go with the crabcakes would be Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.
Recipe
Makes 2 crabcakes
½ ounce Worcestershire sauce
½ ounce mustard
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch parsley
1 pinch Mike's crab seasoning
1 raw egg
1 pound crabmeat
2/3 cup eadcrumbs
Melted butter
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients except for the butter, “fluffing” the mixture together, rather than grinding it. This, according to Chef Piera, helps the texture of the crabcakes.
Form the mixture into two patties. Drizzle each one with melted butter and then bake it until owned. Flip the crabcake and let it bake until it's owned on the other side. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
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