The Crab Recipe

There are literally hundreds of crab recipes. In
celebration of our new Salt Water Sportsman section,
here are some of my favorite ways of preparing crab
for the table.

Steamed Crabs

Steamed crab is one of the most widespread, and enjoyable ways, of preparing crab. Often enough, crabs are steamed right on the pier or beach where they are caught. But whether on site, or back in camp, they are a culinary delight:

This crab recipe is fairly simple. Pour equal parts of beer and vinegar in a tall kettle with a bottom rack to just come up to the rack. Add a handful of Old Bay or similar seasoning. Lay down a layer of live crabs. Sprinkle with Old Bay. Continue layering crabs and Old Bay until the pot is full---or you run out of crabs. Cover the kettle tightly. Bring the beer to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and steam the crabs until their shells turn bright red, about 30 minutes.

Steamed crab can be served hot or cold, or used to provide crabmeat for other dishes.

What's not so simple for some people is opening steamed crabs. here is a step by step pictorial on how to open crabs to aid in your enjoyment.

I developed this crab recipe last summer, while vacationing on the Outer Banks. We ran it as a Recipe of the Week in a recent Newsletter , but many of you, for some reason, do not subscribe. So it bears repeating.

1 lb cooked crab meat
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbls broad leaf parsley, minced
½ cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
5-6 glugs hot sauce
1 tbls prepared horseradish
Old Bay seasoning to taste
4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
Oil for frying
Half package, approximately, won ton wrappers; round ones preferred
Peach gastrique (see below)

Combine the mayo, parsley, eggs, hot sauce, horseradish, Old Bay and cream cheese until well blended. Add the crab meat and bread crumbs, folding them in gently until well mixed.

Put a heaping teaspoonful of the mixture in the center of a won ton wrapper. Brush the edges of the won ton with water and fold in half (if using square wraps, fold point-to-point to create a triangle).

Fry the won tons in hot oil until browned and crisp. Drizzle each serving with some of the peach gastrique.

Peach Gastrique

1 cup peach cider or nectar
Scant ½ cup red wine vinegar
1-2 tbls sugar

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to boil, lower heat, and reduce at a fast simmer until syrupy.

Crab Cakes

Although they’ve become ubiquitous, crab cakes are the signature crab recipe of the Chesapeake Bay region. Variations abound, but the secret to a great crabcake is to keep the percentage of crab meat high, and the filler low. Here is a classic crab recipe from Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

1 lb crab meat
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
A pinch of dry mustard
Oil for frying

In a bowl mix the breadcrumbs, eggs, mayonnaise and seasonings. Add the crab meat and mix gently, adding more mayo if the mixture is too dry. Shape into patties (you should get a half dozen). Cook the cakes in just enough hot oil to prevent them from sticking, until browned, about five minutes on each side. For a variation, shape the crab mixture into balls and deep fry them. Serve on toothpicks as an appetizer.

By the way, my all time favorite way of serving crab cakes is to top a fried green tomato with a cake, and spoon some remoulade sauce over it.

Spicy Crab Dip

You can make this crab recipe in a single casserole dish, and serve it at a party or gathering of friends. I like making it in individual ramekins and serving it as a first course. Served that way, half the recipe makes eight 1/3-cup servings.

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
2 tbls mayonnaise
1 ½ tbls (about a half lemon) fresh lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 lb crab meat
A few dashes hot sauce
Old Bay seasoning to taste
Grated parmesan cheese for topping
Smoked paprika for garnish

Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease a one quart casserole dish or several individual ramekins.

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard, and Cheddar in a bowl. Fold in the crab meat, hot sauce, and Old Bay.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole or ramekins. Top with grated parmesan. Sprinkle with smoked paprika.

Bake until bubbly and browned slightly, 30 minutes for a large casserole, 20 minutes for individual ramekins.

Serve with thinly sliced French bread, toasted under the broiler.

Crab-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This crab recipe takes advantage of a natural pairing – crab and mushrooms. And, while you could choose to use white stuffing mushrooms for this dish, the earthiness of portobellos matches particularly well with the sweetness of the crab meat.

4 large Portobello mushrooms
2 tbls butter, divided
1 large shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
Pinch cayenne
2 tbls breadcrumbs
4 tbls heavy cream
2 cups crabmeat
¼ cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.
Remove stems from mushrooms. Chop stems and reserve. Scrape out and discard the gills. Peel mushroom caps if desired.

Gently steam mushroom caps in two tablespoons of the butter until they are tender but still firm.

Heat the remaining butter in a saucepan. Add the chopped mushroom stems and shallots. Cook until liquid from mushrooms is evaporated. Add salt, Cayenne, bread crumbs, cream, and crab, mixing all together well.

Fill each Portobello cap with the crab mixture. Top each with Gruyere. Bake until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, eight to ten minutes. Serve hot.

Tempura Crab Fingers

Crab fingers are the succulent morsels from the large biter claws of the crab. Often served with part of the shell still attached, to use as a handle, for this crab recipe you want to remove them completely, in one piece.

2 cups crab fingers
¾ cup rice flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¾-1 cup seltzer or club soda
1 egg
Oil for frying

Mix the rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Stir in the egg and seltzer and whisk until smooth. Batter should be on the thin side.

Fill a deep skillet with at least two inches of oil. Heat to 350F.

Add the crab fingers to the batter. Drop fingers, individually, into hot oil and fry until batter is crisp and golden brown.

Serve with seafood cocktail sauce for dipping.