Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped sweet pickle
• 1 tablespoon drained capers, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon Creole or Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup minced green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked over
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• cayenne to taste
• vegetable oil for frying
• two 5-inch lengths soft-crumb French bread, split and toasted lightly
• 2 iceberg lettuce leaves, sliced thin

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Instructions

1. In a bowl whisk together mayonnaise ingredients and reserve.
2. Make crab burgers: In a small heavy skillet cook onion and bell pepper in butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. In a bowl stir together onion mixture, crab meat, scallion greens, mayonnaise, egg, 1 tablespoon bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and salt to taste. Put remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs in a small bowl and put a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Form one fourth crab mixture into a 3-inch patty (it will be soft) and coat with bread crumbs, transferring to plastic wrap. Make 3 more patties in same manner with remaining crab mixture and bread crumbs. In a 10-inch heavy deep skillet heat 1/4 inch oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and fry patties until golden and cooked through, about 2 1/2 minutes on each side, transferring to paper towels to drain. Spread bread with reserved mustard mayonnaise and sandwich crab burgers and lettuce between bread.
3. In a small heavy skillet cook onion and bell pepper in butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. In a bowl stir together onion mixture, crab meat, scallion greens, mayonnaise, egg, 1 tablespoon bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and salt to taste.
4. Put remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs in a small bowl and put a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Form one fourth crab mixture into a 3-inch patty (it will be soft) and coat with bread crumbs, transferring to plastic wrap. Make 3 more patties in same manner with remaining crab mixture and bread crumbs.
5. In a 10-inch heavy deep skillet heat 1/4 inch oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and fry patties until golden and cooked through, about 2 1/2 minutes on each side, transferring to paper towels to drain.
6. Spread bread with reserved mustard mayonnaise and sandwich crab burgers and lettuce between bread.