Crab is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Maine seafood. Still, we have some of the best-tasting crab anywhere, and if you know a lobsterman, you might even get a bucket for yourself. Lobstermen are usually happy to take a few of the bait-eating crustaceans out of circulation.

If you prefer, you can buy crabmeat already picked. Either way, whether you go to the trouble of picking your own, or shelling out the bucks to buy it, you ought to taste the crab in your crab cakes, and not the miscellaneous filler.

Once I watched my neighbor Sarah Randlett make her delicious crab cakes for dinners at a bed-and-breakfast inn we used to have on the island. Her secret? Using a mild fish to help bind the flavorful little threads of crab together; she ground the fish up raw, which made it downright sticky. Some folks use a little mayonnaise as a kind of glue; for added security, feel free to drop in a dollop.

The tiniest bit seasoning is nice: a bit of finely minced shallot, a sprinkle of Old Bay Seasoning, or parsley, tarragon or chives. I usually save all the powerful flavors for the sauce: ketchup with grated horseradish stirred into for a cocktail sauce, or homemade pickle relish stirred into mayonnaise as a kind of tartar sauce. Add chopped capers and tarragon to put on the dog.

For a pleasantly crusty exterior, bread crumbs and some beaten egg are all that is required. A blend of butter and olive oil is all that you need to fry them in, add more if they soak it up. Just please don’t deep-fry them.

P.S. Don’t forget that I am at the American Folk Festival at the Taste of Traditions stage today and Sunday, making chowder smack at noon. It would be a great treat to meet you if you cared to stop by.

Crab Cakes

Makes 12 2- to 2 1/2-inch crab cakes, or three to four servings.

1 1/2 cups or about 12 ounces picked crab

1/2 cups or about 4 to 6 ounces fresh white fish (cods, haddock, cusk etc.) ground in a food processor

1 shallot or three or four scallions finely minced

2 or 3 sprigs parsley finely minced

Seasoning to taste

Salt and pepper

Mayonnaise (optional)

1 beaten egg

Dry breadcrumbs

Butter

Olive oil

Toss the crab and ground fish together in a bowl, add in the shallot or scallions, parsley, seasonings, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pick up a soup spoonful and form it into a patty about 2 inches in diameter, and about a 1/2-inch thick. If the patty will not hold together, add some mayonnaise or beaten egg until it will. Dip each patty into beaten egg and then into bread crumbs, both sides. Set on a baking sheet or pan, and refrigerate for an hour or more till you are ready to fry them.

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a fry or saut? pan and add two tablespoons of olive oil, and allow it to get very hot (so that a drop of water jumps in the pan.) Put the cakes into the pan, reduce the temperature somewhat, and cook them until crusty on both sides, about five minutes per side. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.