It must have been fate to review Whole Foods' crab cake. The day I went down to pick one up, they were having a sale on crab cakes. Spectacular! Given the price of crab, any way to save some cash is certainly appreciated! Crab cakes are available back at the seafood counter, and suggested cooking instructions are printed out on the barcode label (bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 min).
The crab cake is nothing but crab, held together by mayo, peppers, onion and a host of spices. The only filler used are chopped bell peppers and onions. But you can't really consider it filler as it really adds more visual appeal to the cake, with little bursts of flavor here and there. Crab is nice and sweet, the spicing compliments the crab meat well without overpowering the flavor, and no cartilage or shell bits were encountered.
While I baked mine according to the recommended instructions, you can cook yours any way you see fit. If you do end up baking the cake like I did, you may want to flip it halfway through if you want a nice even browning on both sides.
Is it the most spectacular thing to grace my oven? Probably not, given that places more well known for their crab cakes than Whole Foods are happy to provide you with tasty creations via mail order. But in the land of grocery store-sourced crab cakes, if you have the craving for a fresh crab cake and either can't make it to someplace like G&M or don't feel like waiting for FedEx to arrive with your mail order purchase, these really can't be beat. Fresh really is better!
Have you tried Whole Foods' crab cakes? Let us know in the comments!
