Got a seafood craving? You’ll want these creole crab cakes.

For 30 years, these deviled crab cakes were a fixture at Alexander Smalls’ five restaurants, starting with Café Beulah. The recipe comes from his newest cookbook, “Meals, Music and Muses: Recipes From My African American Kitchen,� written with Veronica Chambers. (I was lucky enough to work with Smalls writing the book’s recipes.) They’re an ideal appetizer for Mardi Gras or any other party and make a great meal too.

Deviled Crab Cakes With Spicy Creole Mayonnaise

45 minutes, plus chilling. Serves 6 to 8.

These crab cakes are small, two-bite passed appetizers, but they can be made larger and served as an entrée or plated appetizer. To toast the bread cubes, bake them in a 350-degree oven or toaster oven until golden and crisp.

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup small cubes white bread, toasted
½ cup plain bread crumbs, plus more for dredging
2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
1½ teaspoons cayenne
1 cup fresh corn kernels
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peanut, canola or vegetable oil, for frying
Spicy Creole Mayonnaise (recipe follows)

1. In a large bowl, mix the crab, onion, bell pepper, celery, parsley, eggs, bread cubes, bread crumbs, thyme, cayenne, corn and ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper until well combined. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

2. Put more bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Form the crab mixture into 1-ounce (1½ -inch-diameter) patties. Dredge the patties in the breadcrumbs to coat and shake off any excess crumbs.

3. Fill a large cast-iron skillet with oil to a depth of ½ inch. Heat over medium-high heat to 325 degrees. Working in batches to avoid crowding the skillet, add the crab patties to the hot oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

4. Drain on a crumpled brown paper bag or paper towels. Serve immediately with the Spicy Creole Mayonnaise.

Variation
Baked Crab Cakes
Place the crumb-dredged uncooked patties on a parchment paper–lined half-sheet pan and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until browned, about 5 minutes.

Spicy Creole Mayonnaise

45 minutes, plus chilling. Makes about 3 1/3 cups.

1 cup canned diced tomatoes
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup mayonnaise

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, celery, onion, brown sugar, cayenne, tomato paste, vinegar, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has the consistency of a thick paste, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then chill for 1 hour.

2. Transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and fold in the mayonnaise. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Make Ahead
The mayonnaise can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month.