Mar07

Crab Pasta

by tanis
Posted In: Crab Meat Recipes

By

 Creamy fettucini crab pasta

In someone else’s opinion (Davis) I may over-plan and over-complicate a Sunday night dinner. I have been known to get a hankering for fresh Dungeness crab, hop in the boat and head out to trap the crabs for dinner on more than a few occasions.

It’s hard for me to admit it but part of the problem is that I don’t have the willpower to deter my crabby cravings.

The other part of it is that my crabby cravings are a real beast. As in, “Feed me crab now and I won’t stab your favorite eye out and feed it to your first born child disguised in chocolate.” You get the idea. It freaks me out every time my crabby craving rears its ugly head.

I try really hard to always have crabs in the freezer for these occasions.

I’m happy to say that I have a survival supply in my freezer so I won’t be heading out on the water today.

It’s times like these that I can really enjoy the simplicity of making a delicious mouth-watering meal just by using a few ingredients I already have on hand.

So for your tasting pleasure I’m sharing this super quick and easy meal that you can make with ingredients you probably already have.

I used fettuccine pasta because that’s what I had in my pantry, but any pasta will work just fine.  Davis  prefers bow-tie pasta (because he likes a little fancy with his schmantzy) but he’s SOL tonight.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. of Dungeness crab meat (or whatever crab meat you have)
  • enough pasta for two
  • 1/2 cup of heavy cream (like whip cream, coffee cream etc.)
  • 2 heaping Tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 large clove of fresh garlic minced
  • 1 Tablespoon of tomato paste
  • Salt and pepper to taste (no salt if you used salted butter)
  • fresh flat leaf parsley

 

Method to the Rad-ness:

In a medium sized pot boil water and add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is soft.

While the pasta is cooking start the cream sauce. In a small sauce pan heat the cream on medium low and slowly whisk in the butter. Make sure you don’t bring the cream to a boil. Keep whisking until the cream thickens to the desire consistency.

Keep whisking and add the garlic, tomato paste, salt and pepper for one minute. Remove from heat and add the crab meat to the sauce.

Drain the pasta and divide it into two bowls. Add the sauce on top and garnish with the parsley.

 

Crab Pasta
 
Print
 
Dungeness crab pasta specialty. It’s times like these that I can really enjoy the simplicity of making a delicious mouth-watering meal just by using a few ingredients I already have on hand.
:
: Main
Cuisine: French
: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. of Dungeness crab meat (or whatever crab meat you have)
  • enough pasta for two
  • ½ cup of heavy cream (like whip cream, coffee cream etc.)
  • 2 heaping Tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 large clove of fresh garlic minced
  • 1 Tablespoon of tomato paste
  • Salt and pepper to taste (no salt if you used salted butter)
  • fresh flat leaf parsley
Method to the Rad-ness
  1. In a medium sized pot boil water and add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is soft.
  2. While the pasta is cooking start the cream sauce. In a small sauce pan heat the cream on medium low and slowly whisk in the butter. Make sure you don’t bring the cream to a boil. Keep whisking until the cream thickens to the desire consistency.
  3. Keep whisking and add the garlic, tomato paste, salt and pepper for one minute. Remove from heat and add the crab meat to the sauce.
  4. Drain the pasta and divide it into two bowls. Add the sauce on top and garnish with the parsley.

Return from Crab Pasta to How to Crab Home

 Comment 
Mar07

Crab Caesar Salad from Scratch

by tanis
Posted In: Crab Salad

By

All the ingredients to make a good caesar salad.

I used to be like you. You know who you are…

The one who buys their dressings from the store. Tsk tsk! I don’t do that anymore. It’s way too easy to make your own salad dressing and it tastes so much better than that store bought crap-ola we’ve been eating all our life. Trust me -make this dressing one time and you will never be able to go back to the dressing aisle. You can consider this caesar salad as a gateway to many more salad dressings you will soon be making.

If you can make an oil and vinegar dressing -you can just as easily make this one. With just a few flicks of the whisk you’re good to go.

Aside from the anchovy paste you probably have all the ingredients you need, or a close substitute, to make a fantastic dressing.

If you are a bit squeamish to use raw egg yolks -substitute three heaping spoonfuls of light mayonnaise.

What about anchovies? Most people are not too sure about anchovies in a dressing. Get over it! The anchovies are what gives this dressing its savory-rich sauce they need to be added.

Caesar salad is my favorite go-to salad. It’s what I order as a side in any restaurant. I just love lettuce dipped in a great tasting sauce. When I’m at home I eat my salad as a finger food with the dressing on the side as a dip. I don’t add cheese, I don’t add croutons its just me and the romaine.

Confession: If I’m short on time, I will substitute mayonnaise instead of making my own. It hardly compromises the taste.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 Heads of romaine lettuce
  • 1/2 cup of mayonnaise (homemade see recipe below)
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon (or to taste) Tabasco sauce
  • 1 cup of fresh crab meat (Dungeness preferably)
  • Shredded Parmesan
  • Croutons (optional)

 

Method to the Rad-ness:

Chop up the romaine lettuce into bite sized pieces and put them into a large mixing bowl.

In a small mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, mustard, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. Mix until thoroughly blended.

Using tongs add the dressing to the lettuce one Tablespoon at a time. Once the lettuce is coated, divide it in half and put it on two plates. Add the crab meat then sprinkle it with Parmesan  and Croutons.

 

To Make Homemade Mayonnaise:

Makes 1 cup of Mayonnaise

  • 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • pinch of salt

In a blender put the egg yolk with the salt and lemon juice and blend well. While the blender is mixing add the oil a drop at a time. It takes a few minutes to add the oil but you can’t add it all at once because it will curdle the mayonnaise.

This mayonnaise will keep for up to 6 days in the fridge if it’s covered tightly.

 

 

Crab Caesar Salad from Scratch
 
Print
 
This crab caesar salad is my favorite. It’s way too easy to make your own salad dressing and it tastes so much better than that store bought crap-ola we’ve been eating all our life.
:
: Main
Cuisine: American
: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 Heads of romaine lettuce
  • ½ cup of mayonnaise (homemade see recipe below)
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon (or to taste) Tabasco sauce
  • 1 cup of fresh crab meat (Dungeness preferred)
  • Shredded Parmesan
  • Croutons (optional)
Method to the Rad-ness
  1. Chop up the romaine lettuce into bite sized pieces and put them into a large mixing bowl.
  2. In a small mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, mustard, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. Mix until thoroughly blended.
  3. Using tongs add the dressing to the lettuce one Tablespoon at a time. Once the lettuce is coated, divide it in half and put it on two plates. Add the crab meat then sprinkle it with Parmesan and Croutons.

 

Return from Crab Caesar Salad to How to Crab Home

 

 Comment 
Mar07

Everything you Need to Know About Eating Soft Shell Crabs

by tanis
Posted In: Types of Crabs

By

Grilled soft shell crab

 

Soft shell crabs are a very popular dish due to their explosive flavor, their versatility, and—for many people—the fact that they can enjoy all the great flavor of crab without having to worry about the shells. Typically Blue crabs which are killed and cooked during that brief period when a crab has molted and shed its shell, leaving behind only the soft under layer. Crabs often molt for only 2 to 3 hours, which means that these crabs either need to be killed and flash frozen or kept in tanks and harvested at just the right time.

 

Soft shell crabs are popular, but there are some things you need to know before eating or buying them:

 

First thing’s first: When is it in season?

Soft shell crabs, like regular crabs, have their own ‘seasons.’ The season may vary depending on the weather and the area, but typically the crabs can be found molting in the southern waters from April (again, depending on the weather) until October and sometimes early November. In the east coast, the season lasts a shorter time because the water temperature gets cooler faster. If you want the freshest crab—which you do!—you should look for restaurants or markets that are selling freshly caught (live) softies during the season.

 

Second: What do you look for when you are buying them at the market?

It’s important to know what you should be looking for (and what to avoid) When buying this type of crab at the market. Do not buy a crab which is wrapped in cellophane if you are looking for fresh crab, because the cellophane means they were likely killed and frozen during an off-season. The crabs should not be cleaned when you buy them–it’s up to you to clean them right before you get to cooking. Another important favor to look out for is the actual shells themselves. The shells should be very soft and not stiff; if a crab has a thin, paper-like shell, then it’s a softie any harder shell means it was left in the water too long and the shell began to grow back before it was harvested.

 

Third: What do you look for when you are buying soft shell crabs at a restaurant?

If you’re looking for crab dishes at restaurants, fresh is best! Make sure you ask whether the crabs have been frozen or fresh. Frozen can taste okay, but the best flavor comes from an actual fresh crab. Your best bet is to look for restaurants who are offering the crab as specials, since this usually means they are using crab that was freshly caught. When in doubt, ask the restaurant whether they are serving frozen crab or freshly caught crab.

 

Return from Soft Shell Crabs to How to Crab Home

 

 Comment 
Mar04

Make Crab Cakes

by tanis
Posted In: Crab Cakes

By

How to make the best crab cakes

Make Crab Cakes

I’ve got a quick and healthy little beauty of a recipe for you.

If your tick-tock clock is getting even louder by the minute and your to do list continually grows into oblivion, here’s a solution. Eat a healthy meal, without a whole lot of mess that takes very little time to prepare.

Making these crab cakes is especially helpful if you have a lot of young mouths to feed and baseball practice to run off to.

If you want to make a compelling crab cake you need rich crab meat to compliment all the other ingredients and an impressive background in culinary arts. But sometimes a work of crab cake art magically appears without having a master’s degree in crab-ology.

Learning the ropes of creating, healthy meals that taste great usually takes time to master. We’ve taken the hard work out of cooking so you can get your dinner on the table and ready yourself for your next task.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. of fresh crab meat (preferably Dungeness, but Jumbo lumb blue crab meat
    will work)
  • 1 cup of mayonnaise
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon of dry mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon of Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon of Fresh lime juice
  • ¼ red bell pepper chopped fine
  • 10 saltine crackers crushed
  • 1 cup of panko crumbs
  • ¼ cup of oil
  • 2 Tablespoons of butter

 

Method to the Rad-ness:

In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the mayonnaise and egg until thoroughly blended. Add the Old bay seasoning, mustard, lemon juice, lime juice and red pepper. Stir well.

Add the saltines and stir until moistened.

Gently ford in the crab meat, taking extra care not to break the meat apart when mixing. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

On a plate or pie pan, add the panko crumbs. Divide the mixture into 8 equal parts and form into crab cakes. Dip the cakes into the crumbs and place them on a baking sheet. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.

In a large heavy frying pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Don’t add the crab cakes until the butter has finished bubbling. Cook the crab cakes on both sides until golden brown (usually about 4 minutes per side).

Drain them on paper bags for an extra crispy outer crust or paper towel to remove excess oil from the frying process.

 

 

Make Crab Cakes
 
Print
:
: Appetiser, Entree, Main
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. of fresh crab meat (preferably Dungeness, but all crab meat will work)
  • 1 cup of mayonnaise
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon of dry mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon of Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon of Fresh lime juice
  • ¼ red bell pepper chopped fine
  • 10 saltine crackers crushed
  • 1 cup of panko crumbs
  • ¼ cup of oil
  • 2 Tablespoons of butter
Method to the Rad-ness
  1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the mayonnaise and egg until thoroughly blended. Add the Old bay seasoning, mustard, lemon juice, lime juice and red pepper. Stir well.
  2. Add the saltines and stir until moistened.
  3. Gently ford in the crab meat, taking extra care not to break the meat apart when mixing. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  4. On a plate or pie pan, add the panko crumbs. Divide the mixture into 8 equal parts and form into crab cakes. Dip the cakes into the crumbs and place them on a baking sheet. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
  5. In a large heavy frying pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Don’t add the crab cakes until the butter has finished bubbling. Cook the crab cakes on both sides until golden brown (usually about 4 minutes per side).
  6. Drain them on paper bags for an extra crispy outer crust or paper towel to remove excess oil from the frying process.

 

Return from Make crab Cakes to Home

 Comment 
Mar04

Chesapeake Crab Cakes

by tanis
Posted In: Crab Cakes

By

Chesapeake bay crab cakes with old bay seasoning

Chesapeake Crab Cakes

You don’t need to be in the Chesapeake Bay area to enjoy this Maryland crab cake recipe. But…you do need some crabs and the old bay seasoning that is consumed by the truck loads in these parts.

Chesapeake Bay has a lifetime achievement in fine crabistry. Generations of families have built a strong bond over eating crabs and passing down the crab recipes.

Getting ready for dinner in this area involves gussying-down and de-fancifying one’s self, then putting on a shirt that will be covered in crab juice.

The bay has a shoreline of 4 600 miles and an average depth of 25 feet. There is a rich habitat for all sorts of crustacean creatures with blue crab at the top of the list.

The bushels of blue crabs are caught in the bay with ease, making any average Joe a crab fisherman the moment his crab pot touches the ocean floor. There are plenty of blue crabs to go around.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg beaten
  • ½ cup of unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon of fresh lemon zest, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup saltine crackers, crushed
  • 1 lbs. Jumbo lumb blue crab meat
  • Flour for coating
  • ¼ cup of oil
  • 2 Tablespoons of butter

 

Method to the Rad-ness:

In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the egg and butter until thoroughly blended. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.

Add the saltines and stir until moistened.

Gently ford in the crab meat, taking extra care not to break the meat apart when mixing. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal parts and form into crab cakes. Lightly dip the cakes into the flour for just a dusting and place the cakes on a baking sheet. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.

In a large heavy frying pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Don’t add the crab cakes until the butter has finished bubbling. Cook the crab cakes on both sides until golden brown (usually about 4 minutes per side).

Drain them on paper bags for an extra crispy outer crust or paper towel to remove excess oil from the frying process.

 

 

 

 

Chesapeake Crab Cakes
 
Print
 
Getting ready for dinner in this area involves gussying-down and de-fancifying one’s self, then putting on a shirt that will be covered in crab juice.
:
: Appetiser, Entree, Main
: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 egg beaten
  • ½ cup of unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon of fresh lemon zest, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup saltine crackers, crushed
  • 1 lbs. crab meat
  • Flour for coating
  • ¼ cup of oil
  • 2 Tablespoons of butter
Method to the Rad-ness
  1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the egg and butter until thoroughly blended. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.
  2. Add the saltines and stir until moistened.
  3. Gently ford in the crab meat, taking extra care not to break the meat apart when mixing. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  4. Divide the mixture into 8 equal parts and form into crab cakes. Lightly dip the cakes into the flour for just a dusting and place the cakes on a baking sheet. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
  5. In a large heavy frying pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Don’t add the crab cakes until the butter has finished bubbling. Cook the crab cakes on both sides until golden brown (usually about 4 minutes per side).
  6. Drain them on paper bags for an extra crispy outer crust or paper towel to remove excess oil from the frying process.
 Comment