Crab cakes are not native to New Orleans, but you would never know that to look at menus or recent local cookbooks. They moved in from Maryland in the early 1990s, replacing the good old stuffed crab and igniting the issue that rages wherever crab cakes are found: Which restaurant makes the best? Interestingly, every place claims its are self-evidently superior.

Most people will say that a great crab cake will contain as much jumbo lump crabmeat as possible while still sticking toge