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.
Fried rice is one of those dishes that you can keep at the back of your mind and make on a few minutes’ notice with just about anything you have in your fridge. There are a few staple ingredients that I try never to go without - eggs, for instance, or fresh ginger and scallions - but experimentation should lead to great results, as long as the rice is fresh and you have a few spices on hand to make it interesting. Note that there is no soy sauce in this. In China, fried rice is made with salt, not soy, as many American cooks like to do it. Soy makes the rice soggy, and it often burns in the pan; salt has the same seasoning effect yet allows the rice to stay firm and the other flavors to combine.
This recipe works with almost any seafood: crab, shrimp, and scallops are all great additions. I like the smoked salmon because it allows you to use as little or as much as you have on hand and still get really big flavors out of the fish and the rest of the ingredients. This will serve three or four; it’s quick and simple enough to make for one - reduce amounts accordingly.
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and chopped - big chunks are nice
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
2 cups shredded hearty greens, such as kale, chard, or bok choy
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 or 5 scallions, cut into inch-long diagonals
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
allspice
nutmeg
cumin
ground chilies or chili flakes
seasoned rice vinegar
toasted sesame oil
olive oil
salt
1. Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy wok or deep frying pan. Sautee the onions, peppers, greens, ginger, and garlic until the greens have wilted, the peppers are softened, and the onions are translucent.
2. In another, smaller skillet, scramble the eggs and season with salt, cumin and ground chilies.
3. Add the rice and scallions to the larger wok, along with healthy doses of allspice, nutmeg, cumin, and chilies. Fry quickly, breaking apart any clumps with a wooden spoon and turning the rice frequently, to combine the ingredients and heat it all through. Add the peas.
4. Flake the salmon into the rice and continue to cook; if it’s too dry, shake some rice vinegar over the top to keep it moist. Fling a few pinches of salt over the top and keep stirring. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
5. Add the eggs at the last, cutting them into the rice with your wooden spoon. Your final result should be light and well-mixed, not soggy or clumpy. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and serve.
Other nice add-ins include: shiitake mushrooms, minced dried brine shrimp, diced and steamed potatoes, broccoli crowns, or galangal root (remove before eating). A good dressing for on top includes equal parts Thai fish sauce and rice vinegar, plus sliced fresh red chilies and a spoonful of brown sugar. Try it!
This salad makes a great appetizer for dinner parties or holiday meals.The flavors are bright and tangy, and it’s both quick to make and very beautiful.Be sure to use Belgian endive leaves that have a lot of magenta to them for the strongest visual effect.I have adapted this recipe somewhat; the original comes from a thoughtful cookbook on healthy eating in which all of the dishes are organized according to color.This was listed under the “Autumn” section of “Purple and blue,” along with recipes involving purple cabbage, capsicum, figs, grapes, currants, and eggplant.This serves four.
You will need:
2 heads purple-tipped Belgian endive, leaves removed and rinsed
4 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 lb. fresh or thawed lump crabmeat
1 T minced fresh tarragon
2 T olive oil
1 T mayonnaise
2 tsp chopped capers
Tabasco sauce
Worcestershire sauce
1 T lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.Chill four salad plates.Arrange three or four endive leaves on each plate.Coarsely chop the rest of the leaves and toss them into loose beds atop the arrangements.
2.Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste – 2 or more healthy shakes of Tabasco, and a single shake of Worcestershire ought to be enough.Some measure hot sauce by the drop; I like to overdo it.Only mix until well combined – too much handling can make the crabmeat mushy.
3.Divide the crab mixture equally between the plates and mound it up on the piles of endive.Crack some more pepper over the top, or sprinkle with paprika and more lemon juice.
Serve immediately. This pairs well with hot crusty bread and olive oil for dipping, and with minerally white wines, such as some Pinot Grigios. Follow up with warmer fare, like soup with dumplings or mushroom ragout and polenta.
Here’s some good news for a change, and a great example of responsible living and collective stewardship.The MCA foundation, along with dozens of local groups and communities, has cleaned up over one million pounds of trash from 34,000 miles of Alaska’s coastline.That’s enough garbage to fill four 747 jumbo jets:“It’s a lot of junk and a real accomplishment,” said the program coordinator.
Clean-up crews worked in Juneau, Kodiak, Prince William Sound, Bristol Bay, Yakutat, Port Heiden, the Shelikof Strait, the Aleutian Islands, and the Pribilofs to remove the waste, most of which had washed up on the shore after being carried by ocean currents, often for great distances.Unlike beach trash further south, which is primarily made up of packaging for consumables - cans, bags, and cigarette packs, for example - much of the garbage removed from the Alaskan coast was fishing-related, and from as far away as Asia.
The MCA has spent nearly $1 million in clean-up projects, much of which comes from federal funding.Citizens and participants hope that the effort will increase the health and beauty of the natural environment, protect resources, and help maintain both ecological and economic systems through responsible action.Water quality, marine and shore life, and the fishing industry all depend on clean beaches.
The Alaskan pollock industry is the largest commercial fishery in the United States, accounting for 2 billion pounds of catch annually, or a third of all seafood caught (by weight). Careful monitoring of pollock stocks and migration patterns on the part of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) and other conservation and management bodies have contributed to the sustainability and robust trade economy of the fishery. The Alaskan pollock fishery is endorsed by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a third-party marine conservation group that certifies commercial fishing operations for environmentally sound and sustainable practices and management.
Alaskan Pollock, also known as Walleye Pollock, is a near-ubiquitous staple in processed seafoods on the consumer end: fish sticks, imitation crabmeat, and fish patties for popular fast-food chains all depend upon pollock for their production.
Climate change trends and the warming of waters in the Bering Strait, along with the retreat of winter ice farther north, have begun to have an impact on this Alaskan fishery, however. Warmer sea currents have apparently shifted some of the migration patterns of the pollock population, causing them to move farther north and west, away from expected fishing grounds. This migration has led the pollock right out of American waters and across the border into Russian territory, provoking a potential conflict with Russian fishing industries.
Other results of climatic shift have been noted, as well. Salmon have been found colonizing rivers farther north, and whales have been spotted well into the Arctic, where they apparently wander, starving, in search of food after krill die-offs in traditional feeding territories. This ecological shift has also contributed to massive seabird deaths in some areas, and unexpected blooms of phytoplankton in the warming waters.
• 1/2 pound Dungeness crab meat, picked through for shells and broken into flakes
• 2 tbsp chopped green onion
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup unbleached flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp butter or olive oil (or a mixture of both)
• Lemon wedges for serving
Preparation Instructions
1. Mix together crab, green onions, parsley, red pepper, eggs and Worcestershire.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and stir into the crab mixture just until blended.
3. Heat the butter or oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking.
4. Drop the crab mixture into the oil by spoonfuls to make your desired size fritters, being careful not to crowd them.
5. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. With a spatula, turn them and cook on the other side.
6. Remove to paper towels and place in a low oven until all the fritters are cooked and you are ready to serve them.
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup long-grain white rice or 3 cups leftover steamed white rice
• 6 oz asparagus spears, trimmed (halved lengthwise if quite thick) and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup peas (freshly shelled or frozen)
• 8 oz Alaskan Dungeness crab, picked for shells
• 2 tablespoons minced basil
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• basil and/or parsley sprigs, for garnish
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation Instructions
1. If starting with uncooked rice, combine the water and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Stir in the rice, cover the pan, and cook over low heat until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed, (18 to 20 minutes).
3. Take the pan from the heat, fluff the rice with a fork, and set aside to cool completely, stirring occasionally.
4. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and fill a medium bowl with ice water.
5. Add the asparagus pieces to the boiling water and blanch until bright green and just barely tender, (2 to 3 minutes).
6. Scoop out the asparagus with a slotted spoon and put it in the ice water to cool.
7. Return the water to a boil, add the peas, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Drain the peas, add them to the ice water, and let cool completely.
9. Drain the vegetables and scatter them on paper towels to dry.
10. Put the cooled rice in a large bowl. Add the crab to the rice with the asparagus, peas, basil, and parsley.
11. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste.
12. Whisk to blend, and then pour the dressing over the salad, stirring gently to mix evenly.
13. Garnish with the herb sprigs and serve.
• 2 lbs King crab OR Dungeness crab legs and claws
• 6 to 8 long sprigs rosemary (approx 1 1/2 oz)
• 1 large lemon, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
Preparation Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Lay the crab portions in a 9-by-13 inch baking dish and top with rosemary sprigs and lemon slices.
3. Add the olive oil, garlic and pepper flakes and season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Toss to coat the crab pieces evenly with the seasonings, arranging them finally in an even layer with most of the rosemary and lemon underneath.
5. Roast the crab until the flesh is just opaque through (use body portions to judge; their flesh will be more visible), about 15 minutes for raw crab, or until the precooked crab is heated through, 7 to 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the crab pieces to a serving platter, surround them with the rosemary sprigs and lemon slices and serve. Have a discard bowl available for the shells, and provide plenty of napkins.
7. Return the water to a boil, add the peas, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Substitutions:King crab legs and claws or pre-split jumbo King crab. If using unsplit king crab, split the shells before roasting to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.
2 lbs Alaska King crab or Dungeness crab legs and claws
6 to 8 long sprigs rosemary (approx 1 1/2 oz)
1 large lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
Preparation Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Lay the crab portions in a 9-by-13 inch baking dish and top with rosemary sprigs and lemon slices.
3. Add the olive oil, garlic and pepper flakes and season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Toss to coat the crab pieces evenly with the seasonings, arranging them finally in an even layer with most of the roesmary and lemon underneath.
5. Roast the crab until the flesh is just opaque through (use body portions to judge; their flesh will be more visible), about 15 minutes for raw crab, or until the precooked crab is heated through, 7 to 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the crab pieces to a serving platter, surround them with the rosemary sprigs and lemon slices and serve. Have a discard bowl available for the shells, and provide plenty of napkins.
Substitutions: King crab legs and claws or pre-split jumbo King crab. If using unsplit king crab, split the shells before roasting to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.
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