Ingredients

1 pound lump crab meat, picked over and cleaned, with all shell fragments removed
1 egg white, lightly beaten until just foamy
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely snipped chives
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons peanut oil
Lemon wedges

Directions

Place crab in a mixing bowl. Pour the egg white over crab, slowly, stopping occasionally to mix it. When the meat has absorbed the egg white, sift the flour over crab and sprinkle with chives, black pepper, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Lift the crab from the bottom of the bowl, turning it over gently, to mix the ingredients without overhandling.

Separate the mixture into 8 portions. Gently roll between the flattened palms of your hands to form loose balls. Flatten slightly and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle both sides with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Line a baking pan with paper towels. Fry cakes in two batches to ensure a crisp crust. Using a small heavy skillet, melt half the butter and oil together until the mixture is foamy and begins to brown. Fry the cakes until a crust forms, turning only once, about 2 minutes per side. (The fat should be sizzling hot, enabling a crisp crust to form before the crab absorbs the cooking fat.) Remove crab cakes and drain in the prepared pan. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep them warm.

Pour off the fat from the first batch, wipe out the pan, and return to the heat. Cook the second batch of cakes using remaining butter and oil. Serve hot with lemon wedges.