1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 cup finely chopped green bell peppers

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1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Creole mustard

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups finely crushed buttery crackers, such as Ritz or Escort

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

1/4 cup vegetable oil (or more as needed)

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, parsley, salt, cayenne, hot sauce, baking powder, egg, 1 cup of the crushed crackers and the crabmeat in a large mixing bowl. Add the onions and bell peppers and mix gently. Form the mixture into six plump cakes and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Remove the cakes from the refrigerator and dredge them in the remaining crushed crackers to coat evenly.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crab cakes, two at a time, and fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm drizzled with butter sauce.