• ¼ tablespoon butter, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped (should yield about 1/3 cup)
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 egg, whisked
• 4 slices of white bread, crusts removed, and finely torn into little pieces
• 1 pound backfin Maryland crabmeat (picked over to remove any shells) although any crabmeat will do, such as king, snow, or Dungeness crabmeat
• Panko, for the crust or you can use cooked hash brown potatoes that you pat dry
• vegetable oil for frying
• Tartar sauce, lemon wedge, and dill sprig for garnish

Set a small skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Sauté the shallots for 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl combine the chives, lemon zest, salt, pepper, cayenne, Worcestershire, paprika, mayonnaise, and egg and mix until well combined. Add in the chopped bread and cooled shallots and mix again. Everything needs to be well blended. Gently fold in the crabmeat and form the crab cakes into 2-inch wide crab cakes that are no thicker than an inch. The crab cakes have to be well put together, so make sure you keep molding them in your hands until they stay together. Carefully drop the crab cakes into a bowl full of panko and gently roll the crab cake around to become fully coated. Set the crab cakes onto a parchment or wax paper lined plate or sheet pan that can fit into your refrigerator. Finish forming and coating all the crab cakes and set them in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

When you are ready to prepare the crab cakes, pour enough oil into a small saucepot so that it reaches 1 inch up the side of the pot. Heat the oil to 350F. When it is hot, carefully place the crab cakes into the oil and fry them in small batches for about 2 to 3 minutes until they turn golden brown. Carefully remove the crab cakes with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve the crab cakes with a nice dollop of tartar sauce, a lemon wedge and a dill sprig for garnish.

Important Note: Take great care when frying. Always use a splatter guard and NEVER place your face over the pot. Hot oil can pop and splatter unexpectedly.