Crab-Stuffed Deviled Eggs
Crab-Stuffed Deviled Eggs
Yields 6-8 servings
12 large eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 cup celery leaves, chopped
1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the eggs in a large saucepan and cover with water by 1-inch. Bring to a boil. As soon as the water comes to a boil, set a timer and boil the eggs for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in the sink. Drain, and run with cold running water until cool enough to handle. Peel the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise.
Remove the yolks from the whites and put them in a medium-size bowl. With the back of a fork, mash the yolks then add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery leaves and parsley leaves, and mix well. Add the crabmeat and gently stir to mix. Season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Spoon equal amounts of the mixture into the egg white halves and chill well before serving.
Shrimp and Crab Gumbo (served over Dirty Rice)
Shrimp and Crab Gumbo (served over Dirty Rice)
Serves 10 to 12
2 pounds medium shrimp
8 ounces turkey sausage, casing removed
2 medium onions, minced
2 medium green bell peppers, cored and seeded, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 pound okra, cut widthwise into quarters
2 jalapeño peppers, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1/4 teaspoon gumbo filé
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
3/4 cup Dark Roux (recipe follows)
6 cups Shrimp Stock (recipe follows)
3/4 cup chopped canned peeled tomatoes
6 blue crabs (6 to 8 ounces each), optional
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Dirty Rice (recipe follows)
1. Shell and devein shrimp, leaving tail sections intact; reserve shells for stock. Break sausage into 1/2-inch pieces; in a skillet, cook over medium heat until all the fat has been rendered, about 8 minutes. Mix in onions, green peppers, okra, jalapeño, and filé. Cook until onions have softened, about 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 minutes more. Set aside.
2. In a stockpot, melt dark roux over medium heat; heat shrimp stock in a medium saucepan over high heat. Gradually pour hot stock over roux, whisking to combine well. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and add reserved sausage-and-vegetable mixture and tomatoes. Stir gumbo well, and let cook for 1 hour.
3. If using whole crabs, cut them in half lengthwise, and add to gumbo. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until opaque. Add crabmeat and parsley, and cook 2 to 4 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot over dirty rice.
Dark Roux
Makes 3/4 cup
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1. Place rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 325°. On the stovetop, melt shortening in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Gradually sift flour over shortening; whisk to combine. Mixture will be thick and pasty. Continue to whisk until light brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Transfer skillet to oven; let roux cook until very dark brown, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, whisking every 45 minutes (whisk every 30 minutes if pan is not cast iron). The roux can be kept, refrigerated, for up to a week before using.
Note: This can also be made on the stovetop; be careful not to let it burn. In step 2, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until dark brown, 45 to 60 minutes.
Shrimp Stock
Makes about 6 cups
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
1 carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 dried bay leaves
2 quarter-inch-thick slices lemon
1 jalapeño pepper, cut in half lengthwise
6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Shells from 2 pounds of shrimp
1. Melt shortening in a stockpot over medium heat. Add all remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring often, 10 minutes. Add 3 quarts water, and cover; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 1 hour. Strain; discard solids. The stock may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or frozen up to 3 months.
Dirty Rice
Serves 10 to 12
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound chicken livers, cleaned and finely chopped
2 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, including leafy greens, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 2 tablespoons dried
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in rice, 1 teaspoon salt, and butter. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15 to 17 minutes, until water is absorbed. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 10 minutes. Add chicken livers; cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add rice and all remaining ingredients. Cook, tossing and stirring, until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Zesty Crab Cakes
Zesty Crab Cakes
Serves 4; Prep time: 5 minutes; Total time: 35 minutes
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
3 hot pickled peppers, such as Peppadew, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cornmeal. Whisk next 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Gently mix in crab, peppers, and breadcrumbs.
2. For each crab cake, shape 1/3 cup crab mixture into a patty; place on prepared sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 15 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook crab cakes in batches, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with lemon.
Crab Foo Yung
Crab Foo Yung
Recipe courtesy of Tom Douglas
Makes 8 crab cakes; serves 4
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons mirin (rice wine)
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
3/4 pound crabmeat, drained, picked clean of shell, and lightly squeezed
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1/4 cup minced celery, preferably the tender inner stems and a few leaves
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts
6 tablespoons peanut or canola oil, as needed
4 wedges lemon
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Chinese hot chile paste
1. Whisk the eggs with the soy sauce, mirin, and Tabasco in a large bowl until slightly foamy. Stir in the crabmeat, mushrooms, sprouts, celery, and scallions.
2. Heat 2 large nonstick skillets over medium-high heat with about 3 tablespoons oil in each one, or work in batches using just 1 skillet and preheating the oven to 200°. When oil is hot, ladle as many patties as will fit into each pan using a 4-ounce ladle or 1/2-cup measuring cup. Cook patties, turning from side to side a couple of times, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 4 minutes total, making sure to turn down heat if patties begin to brown too quickly. If using one skillet, be sure to wipe out the pan with paper towels before cooking the next batch and transfer cooked patties to the oven to keep warm.
3. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and Tabasco or chile paste.
Chesapeake Bay Classic Crab Cakes
Chesapeake Bay Classic Crab Cakes
Makes 8 large crab cakes
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup peanut or canola oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced scallions, both white and green parts
1 pound fresh or pasteurized lump blue, Dungeness, Jonah, or Peekytoe crabmeat, drained and picked clean of shell
4 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
About 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Red Cocktail Sauce (recipe follows)
Green Cocktail Sauce (recipe follows)
Really Good Tartar Sauce (recipe follows)
4 wedges lemon
1. Place egg yolk, Old Bay, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and vinegar in the bowl of a small food processor or jar of a blender, and process until smooth. Gradually pour in the oil with the machine running until the mixture emulsifies and forms a mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer mayonnaise to a medium bowl. Fold in scallions and crabmeat until well combined. Place the bread crumbs and parsley on a shallow dish and gently stir to combine. Form the crab mixture into 8 patties about 3 inches wide and 3/4-inch thick. Coat patties on all sides with the bread-crumb-and-parsley mixture. Leave the patties in the shallow dish with the bread-crumb mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Place 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter to each pan. When butter is melted, add 4 crab cakes to each pan. Cook the crab cakes until they are golden brown on both sides and hot throughout, turning once with a spatula, about 4 minutes per side. If crab cakes begin to brown too quickly, reduce the heat. Internal temperature should be 155° when fully cooked.
4. Transfer crab cakes to plates and serve with your choice of sauce and lemon wedges.
Red Cocktail Sauce
Makes 1 cup
1 cup ketchup or chili sauce, such as Heinz
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Green Cocktail Sauce
Makes about 2/3 cup
8 ounces tomatillos, husked, rinsed, dried, and quartered
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons green hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon mustard seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh horseradish
1. Place the tomatillos in the bowl of a food processor and process to a coarse purée. Remove tomatillo puree and place into a sieve, drain liquid and discard. Place the drained puree in a large bowl and stir in the vinegar, sugar, green Tabasco, mustard seeds, and horseradish.
Really Good Tartar Sauce
Makes about 1 1/3 cups
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup peanut or canola oil
1/4 cup pickle relish
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of cayenne
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the egg yolks in the bowl of a food processor or jar of a blender and, with the machine running, gradually add the vinegar. Continue processing and gradually add the oil until the mixture is emulsified. Transfer the mayonnaise to a bowl and stir in relish, parsley, mustard, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Texas Crabgrass
Texas Crabgrass
Original recipe yield: 2.5 cups
Prep Time 20 Min
Cook Time 20 Min
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1/2 pound crabmeat
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry sherry
In a medium saucepan, place spinach with 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, slowly cook and stir onions in butter until tender.
Place spinach, onion, crabmeat, Parmesan cheese and dry sherry in a small baking dish. Mix thoroughly. Bake in the preheated oven 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.
Crab and Cream Cheese Dip
Crab and Cream Cheese Dip
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 3 cups
1 pound crabmeat, any kind, picked free of shell
8 ounces cream cheese, in large dice
1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, or to taste
2 tablespoons Creole mustard or other coarse mustard
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Place 1/2 the crabmeat in the bowl of a food processor. Add 1/3 of the cream cheese, hot sauce, Worcestershire, horseradish, mustard, 2/3 of the green onions, salt, and pepper. Puree, running the processor for about 15 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, add 1/2 the remaining cream cheese, and puree until well blended, about 15 seconds. Stop and scrape the bowl again, add the remaining cream cheese, and process until well incorporated. Adjust seasoning. Fold in the remaining onions and crabmeat and serve as a dip. Or, to make canapes, reserve the remaining crabmeat, place the puree in a pastry bag, and pipe it onto crackers or toast points. Season the reserved crabmeat, and garnish the canapes with the crabmeat and the remaining green onions.
Hot Crab Dip
Hot Crab Dip
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 cups
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, free of shells
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese or some other cheese like five Italian cheese
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup green onions, minced, optional
4 roasted garlic cloves or 1 cloves minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sour cream
Old Bay seasoning
Smidge of horseradish
Salt and pepper
Shrimp, optional
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine all of the ingredients in a casserole and gently stir until thoroughly mixed. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot with crackers or toast points.
Stuffed Mushrooms with Bechamel Sauce
Stuffed Mushrooms with Bechamel Sauce
Yields 2 dozen
Vegetable oil, for greasing baking sheet
2 pounds large button mushrooms
1/2 stick butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
2 slices white sandwich bread, toasted and buttered then finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups fresh or canned lump crabmeat, cleaned of shell and cartilage
For the bechamel:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon white wine
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon fish stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch fresh nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the mushroom caps on a lightly oiled baked sheet and roast cap side down until tender, about 10 minutes. While the mushrooms are roasting, heat a skillet over medium high heat and melt the butter. Cook the onion, shallot, garlic, celery, red pepper and parsley until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and let cook for another minute.
Add the bread, salt, freshly ground black pepper and thyme. Mix to combine thoroughly. Gently fold in crab meat. Divide the stuffing between the mushroom caps and place back the baking sheet. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the stuffing is browned, about 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and prepare the béchamel: In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the wine, milk and stock and let thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh nutmeg. Serve mushrooms topped with béchamel sauce.
Baked Stuffed Fish
Baked Stuffed Fish
Yields 4 servings
1/2 stick butter, plus some for the bottom of the baking dish
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
2 slices white sandwich bread, toasted and buttered then finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1 1/2 cups canned or fresh lump crabmeat, cleaned of shell and cartilage
4 sole fillets, about 8 to 10 ounces each
Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Cook the onion, shallot, garlic, celery, red pepper and parsley until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Reserve some of the cooked veggies for the bottom of the baking dish. Deglaze the pan with white wine and let cook for another minute. Add the bread, salt, freshly ground black pepper and thyme. Mix to combine thoroughly. Gently fold in the crab meat. Rinse and pat dry the sole fillets. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on the filets. Spread the stuffing along the filet and roll it up.
Place reserved cooked veggies in the bottom of a buttered baking dish. Place the rolled up sole filets, seam side down, on top of the veggies. Cook covered with foil for 15 minutes. Take the foil off and continue to cook for another 5 minutes uncovered. Serve immediately.
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