Broiled Crab Cakes

Simple and elegant, crab cakes are perfect for holiday entertaining. High quality fresh crabmeat is available in eight-ounce containers in many supermarkets these days and is often on sale around the holidays. The best crab cakes contain only enough of a binder (crushed saltine crackers are used here), to hold the crabmeat together. Gentle tossing with a fork will prevent breaking up the pieces of crabmeat. It seems fussy to insist on fresh parsley, but when working with a pricey ingredient like fresh crabmeat, fresh parsley makes a world of difference. These delicate crab cakes are broiled. The touch of butter placed on top of the cakes before broiling gives them a lovely nutty flavor as it browns and keeps the cakes moist. Serve two of these crab cakes as a main course per person or smaller ones as an appetizer.