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1
Trim the crusts from the bread; discard, or reserve for another use.
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2
Tear the remaining bread into little pieces (about 20 pieces per slice); handle the bread lightly, so the pieces remain fluffy and don't flatten out.
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3
Place the bread pieces in a bowl, and sprinkle them with the wine; toss lightly to distribute the wine evenly.
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4
Pick over the backfin and the jumbo lump crabmeat to remove any bits of shell.
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5
In a large mixing bowl, toss together the backfin and jumbo lump crabmeat.
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6
Season to taste with salt and with Maryland crab seasoning.
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7
Add the soaked bread, beaten eggs, lemon juice, and melted butter; toss lightly, making sure to keep the crab lumps whole.
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8
Add the mayonnaise, and toss the mixture gently with your hands, distributing the mayonnaise evenly.
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9
Taste again for seasoning, if desired (if you don't want to taste raw egg, you can saute a bit of the mixture in butter).
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10
For even better flavor, allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.
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11
When you are ready to cook, place a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat; the pan should have enough room for 3 crab cakes.
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12
Add enough lard and vegetable oil (in fifty-fifty production) to create a 1-inch depth of oil.
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13
When the oil is medium-hot, quickly shape 1/2 the crab mixture with your hands into 3 cakes, each roughly the size and shape of a large hamburger.
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14
Gently place the cakes in the oil, making sure to preserve their shapes.
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15
Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the cakes are golden on one side.
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16
Flip them carefully with a spatula, and fry on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes.
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17
After about 8 minutes, the cakes should be golden brown on all sides and heated through (you want the pieces of bread inside to virtually disappear).
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18
Remove the cakes from the pan, and place them on paper towels.
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19
Repeat and make 3 more cakes with the remaining mixture.
