Heres a wonderful recipe for cooking fresh crab from Sue
Method:
Set a large pot of water deep enough to cover crab on stove to boil (don’t add crab yet) and add:
Ingredients:
1 large bay leaf
a generous handful of dried onion flakes (saves time) OR half a medium onion cut into slices
1 teaspoon of dried minced garlic (not powder) OR 2 or 3 smashed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon whole coriander seed
2 or 3 tsps. dill weed
5 whole cloves
1/8 tsp. celery seed
5 quarter size slices of fresh ginger
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
juice of half a large juicy lemon OR a whole small one and dump in the rind (skin or peel of the lemon - adds flavor)
Optional - can add crushed red pepper if desired
Also Optional - I add a teaspoon of “No Salt” (potassium chloride salt to balance the sodium in the crab - good if you are watching your sodium intake)
The spices above are a sort of “pickling blend” and can be adjusted to taste by changing amounts of items or even eliminating those you don’t want. The crab is so good you won’t need anything else.
Let the water come to a boil and boil for 10 minutes to flavor the water. Then add crab and turn down to simmer just until crab is heated through.
The following spicy and versatile seafood dish comes from Skip To Malou:
Ingredients:
2 cans of coconut milk
2 tbsp red curry paste
4 tbsp crab fat (you may add more depending on your taste— or you could omit this part at all)
1 green bell pepper diced
I medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Seafood that you have on hand, works well with shrimp, crab meat, clams or fish
Spaghetti Noodles (cooked)
Procedure:
Saute the garlic, onions and seafood. Set aside the seafood. Saute the crab fat. Pour the 2 cans of coconut milk. Let it simmer or until it’s reduced to a creamy texture. Add the curry paste ( I used 2 generous tbsp full). Stir and allow the flavors to blend. Season with salt or fish sauce.
Pour the sauce over cooked spaghetti noodles. Top it with seafood.
Flake crabmeat with a fork in a medium bowl; stir in mayonnaise, scallions, soy sauce, wasabi, and zest. Stir in 2 tablespoons panko crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 1 hour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper; set aside
In a small bowl, beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water; set aside.
In a shallow bowl, stir together sesame seeds and breadcrumbs. Form one tablespoon crab mixture into a ball; dip in seasoned flour. Flatten into a cake. Build up sides a little and rounding it out. Repeat with remaining crab mixture. Dip cakes in egg mixture, then roll in breadcrumb mixture.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add half the crab cakes; cook, turning once, until golden and crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towel-lined plates to drain. Repeat with remaining cakes, adding more oil if needed. Let cool completely.
Transfer crab cakes to a baking sheet. Freeze (uncovered) until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container; freeze until ready to use, up to 6 weeks.
To serve, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the crab cakes on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake until heated through, 10 to 14 minutes.
The following recipe come from mymansbelly a fun food blog, with great food.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
32 Ounces Chicken Broth
2 Medium Baking Potatoes (peeled and diced)
3 Small Cloves Garlic (chopped fine)
1 Teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 Cup Grated Brown Onion
12 Ounces Frozen Corn Kernels
1/4 Teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
1/4-1/2 Cup Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
8 Ounces Crab Meat
Kosher Salt
Directions
In a large saucepan add the diced potatoes and garlic. Pour in chicken stock. Over medium high heat cook potatoes until just starting to soften (10-15 minutes).
Add Old Bay seasoning, onions, black pepper and corn to saucepan. Stir and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Stir in cream and add butter.
Once butter melts, add crab to mixture. Stir to thoroughly combine ingredients and leave on heat until crab is heated through.
Wanted a no fuss supper tonight so am making my crab guacamole, cracking open a jar of salsa and opening a bag of taco chips for an easy meal. It takes a mere 10 minutes and tastes so much better than plain old guac. The crab guacamole also works a treat on little gem lettuce leaves as a healthy, no-carb canapé. We’ll be having ours washed down with a couple of coronas but if you want something a little more festive, mango margaritas would make a great combo!
Crab Guacamole
serves 2
Ingredients:
100g white crabmeat
2 ripe avocados
1 tomato, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 green chili, deseeded and finely diced
juice of 2 limes
freshly ground black pepper
salt
Method:
Mash the avocados in a bowl until they are smooth and creamy (a few lumps here and there is fine)
Add all other ingredients and stir until well combined.
Serve on crostini, gem lettuce leaves or with a side of taco chips and salsa.
This wonderful soup comes from Kahakai Kitchen a wonderful blog based in Hawaii:
It was a long draining week putting in lots of hours trying to make a deadline on some consulting I am doing which made me tired and grumpy. I needed a good, stomach and soul-filling bowl of soup this week to get me back on track. Finding the “Corn Lady” had parked her truck near my house again, selling local corn picked fresh that morning felt like a sign that a hearty corn soup would be perfect. I decided to take some of the elements of a corn chowder, like potatoes, rice, and milk or cream, flavor it with my favorite Thai ingredients and top it with a luxurious scoop of crab meat. The result was this gorgeous Thai-Flavored Corn & Potato Chowder with Crab.
Thai-Flavored Corn & Potato Chowder with Crab
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes about 6 servings)
3 medium ears of fresh corn, (or about 2 1/4 cups frozen corn)
8 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and bruised
4-5 kaffir lime leaves
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 (3-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, sliced into rounds
2 Tbsp Thai green curry paste
1 cup jasmine or long-grain white rice
1 1/2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1″ cubes
1 cup snow peas, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch strips
2 Tbsp Asian fish sauce
fresh lime juice from 2 limes
1/2 Tbsp or to taste, sambal oelek or other red chili paste
1 can (14 oz) of lite coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
2 Tbsp chopped Thai basil, plus extra for garnish
6 oz lump crab meat for garnish
smoked paprika for garnish
If using fresh corn, cut kernels from cob with a sharp knife and set aside. Break up corn cobs and add to large heavy soup pot along with chicken stock, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, ginger, and curry paste and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until ginger is softened, about 15 minutes.
Pour through a fine mesh or paper-towel-lined sieve. Discard solids and put flavored stock back in pot. Bring to a boil, stir rice and potatoes into soup, turn down heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Add reserved corn kernels and snow peas and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, until just heated through, about 2 minutes.
Stir in fish sauce, lime juice and coconut milk and simmer, uncovered, until about 2 minutes to blend flavors.
Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste, stir in chopped cilantro and basil.
Place chowder in shallow bowls and top with additional chopped cilantro and Thai-basil and a heaping tablespoon of crab and garnish with a pinch of smoked paprika and a sprig of Thai-basil.
This is a really great crab soup recipe. Well, maybe I’m partial, because I love pumpkin soup. The recipe is simple, easy and quick.
This is one you must try!
Yummy Pumpkin-Crab Soup Rating: 10 out of 10
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. Smart Balance buttery spread (or butter)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 cups roasted butternut squash (canned pumpkin may be substituted)1 tsp. sea salt
2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup fat-free half and half (Land o’Lakes recommended)
2 cups crab meat, picked over for cartilage and shells
For Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Method:
In a large heavy skillet or stock pot, heat the onion in the SB over medium heat till wilted, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic; cover; reduce heat to low and cook about 15 minutes, till onions are soft.
Sprinkle with curry powder; cook an additional minute, then add squash and salt and stir together.
Puree in a blender; pour into a saucepan with the broth; cook over medium heat till almost boiling. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more salt if needed.
Add cream, half and half and crabmeat; reduce temperature and just heat through, about 5 more minutes.
Garnish each serving with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Yield: 4-6 servings
This is a light and beautiful dish, perfect for springtime brunches or those first outdoor meals of the season. If you don’t have access to good crab, try substituting shrimp or salmon. Even smoked salmon can be a delicious alternative to the sweetness of crab.
You will need:
1/4 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch spears
1/4 lb. snow peas, rinsed and chopped in half (green peas will work - discard the pods or use the frozen, bagged variety)
2 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 c cooked rice - I like to use leftover rice for salads, but freshly steamed will work just as well
1 plump ripe slicing tomato, or two roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced parsley
3/4 lb. crab meat, precooked (or steamed directly before assembling the salad)
sprigs of basil, chives, and tarragon for garnish
1/4 c olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp minced thyme, chives, and basil
salt and pepper
1. Combine the last four ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them together to make the dressing.
2. Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water on hand for blanching. Add the asparagus to the pot once it boils, and cook for one minute, or until the color brightens and they are soft but still have some crunch to them. Remove with a slotted spoon and dunk in the ice bath.
3. Repeat with the peas and carrots, cooking each just until tender but still crunchy. Drain the cooled vegetables well.
4. Mix together the rice, cooked vegetables, tomato, parsley, and crab. Drizzle with the dressing and stir gently to combine. Serve on chilled plates with herbs for garnish.
Optional add-ins: very thinly sliced raw celery, water chestnuts, chunked hard-boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, and chopped scallions.
This is a wonderfully tasty dish that can be made a day ahead, if necessary. If you don’t have shrimp on hand, good quality lump crab meat could work, as well. It comes from a beautiful book on Indian cooking by Ruta Kahate, 5 Spices, 50 Dishes. They go great with a number of different dipping sauces. You will need:
2-3 cups canola oil, divided
1/2 yellow onion, minced
3 small green serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 t ground turmeric
1 small sweet potato, peeled, cut into pieces, and boiled until tender (leftover mashed potatoes can be used in a pinch)
1. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat, and lightly saute the onions, chiles, and ginger until the onion is golden. Be careful not to add too much oil - the small amount helps the cakes hold together. Add the cilantro, cayenne, and turmeric and saute another minute and then set aside to cool.
2. Mash the sweet potato.
3. Coarsely chop the shrimp and combine with the potato, onion mixture, egg, and a little salt. Make a very tiny patty and saute it in a small skillet to test the seasonings. Adjust salt or other seasonings to taste if necessary.
4. Wet your palms before forming the patties to prevent sticking. Divide the mixture into 12 balls, then flatten them into discs. They will be roughly 1 1/2 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Pat the cakes in bread crumbs, coating them well on all sides. The cakes will be loose in texture - this is a good thing. It ensures they will be moist and tender.
5. Heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the cakes in a medium skillet. When the oil begins to shimmer, gently place in one layer of cakes. Do not crowd. Cook 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, then flip and repeat on the other side. Remove the cakes to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat for the remaining cakes. Serve immediately.
Note: These may be formed and refrigerated a day in advance, layered on wax paper and covered with plastic wrap. Fry directly before serving.
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