Cook Chatty Cathy
New member
Patty style and pan-fried on both sides! They cook rather fast and Wooo are they good!
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Steamed Crabs
- Thread starter Mama Mangia
- Start date
K
KYHeirloomer
Guest
Depends on where you're looking, Chubbs.
The upscale and celebrity chefs, lately, seem to be concentrating on that domed look. And broiling, which used to be very rare, is now a common way of cooking them. Broiling first appeared in the Crisfield, MD area when cooking healthy made its appearance.
For regular cakes I prefer patty shaped, and pan-fried on both sides. For smaller versions, such as crab balls, I like them deep fried. But that's because I think of crab cakes as a meal, and crab balls as a snack.
My absolute favorite way of doing crab cakes is to serve a pan-fried cake on top of a slice of fried green tomato, and knap the whole thing with remoulade.
The upscale and celebrity chefs, lately, seem to be concentrating on that domed look. And broiling, which used to be very rare, is now a common way of cooking them. Broiling first appeared in the Crisfield, MD area when cooking healthy made its appearance.
For regular cakes I prefer patty shaped, and pan-fried on both sides. For smaller versions, such as crab balls, I like them deep fried. But that's because I think of crab cakes as a meal, and crab balls as a snack.
My absolute favorite way of doing crab cakes is to serve a pan-fried cake on top of a slice of fried green tomato, and knap the whole thing with remoulade.
K
KYHeirloomer
Guest
>Most folks in Alaska keep their crab-pots in the garage <
This line threw me for a minute, Kevin, until I realized you were talking about the cooking pots.
On the East Coast, crab pot refers to the traps/nets used to catch crabs, the same way "lobster pot" refers to those wonderful lathe & net traps used for lobsters. For instance, when Friend Wife and I were crabbing in North Carolina last month, we had six pots between us.
I don't know what the nomenclature is on the West Coast. Hoop nets are the preferred way of catching Dungenese. Small versions of those (they're as much as four feet in diameter out west, but we're talking about 16-18 inches on the East Coast versions) have been showing up on the East Coast, but drop-side box traps remain the favorite among non-professionals.
This line threw me for a minute, Kevin, until I realized you were talking about the cooking pots.
On the East Coast, crab pot refers to the traps/nets used to catch crabs, the same way "lobster pot" refers to those wonderful lathe & net traps used for lobsters. For instance, when Friend Wife and I were crabbing in North Carolina last month, we had six pots between us.
I don't know what the nomenclature is on the West Coast. Hoop nets are the preferred way of catching Dungenese. Small versions of those (they're as much as four feet in diameter out west, but we're talking about 16-18 inches on the East Coast versions) have been showing up on the East Coast, but drop-side box traps remain the favorite among non-professionals.
chubbyalaskagriz
New member
Once, at a Fairbanks hotel our crabcakes were so popular with the summer tourists that we invested in a beautiful copper & stainless flat griddle w/ hood positioned just inside the fine dining restaurant's entry, still within sight (and scent!) of our sandwich shop and our patio 'salmon-bake' tavern.
At first I staffed one cook during evening hours. WHOA! Before long, it was staffed nearly 24 hours hours a day and the cooks who worked it were so busy that a few weeks into the first season we staffed a pair of prep-cooks back in the kitchen to keep up w/ the load! Soon, (because it was a station that customers felt free to walk up to and order from themselves- and they TIPPED the cook) my staff were fighting over who got to work it!
During that first summer, as we were learning our way with this new novelty, we discovered that our restaurant staffs LOVED sandwiching the crabcakes onto one of our baking-staff's signature cottage-cheese/dill rolls that was among other fresh breads/rolls in our fine dining-room's bread basket. Next summer, what do you think I placed on our menu? EXACTLY! A crabcake sandwich on a cottage-cheese/dill bun!
That was in 1996 and after I left the hotel, that sandwich was spread to and served at all of the Princess lodges and hotels in Alaska, at the same copper-griddle stations, and to my knowledge (last veirified about 3 years ago) that sandwich is still offered- where it's been able to gather even more grab n' go foot traffic at all the properties... sadly though, I hear they now purchase a frozen crabcake, whereas we hand-mixed and hand-pressed our own. A proud moment for me and my staff from that year- most of whom, like me, are no longer w/Princess, tho it was a great outfit to work for.
At first I staffed one cook during evening hours. WHOA! Before long, it was staffed nearly 24 hours hours a day and the cooks who worked it were so busy that a few weeks into the first season we staffed a pair of prep-cooks back in the kitchen to keep up w/ the load! Soon, (because it was a station that customers felt free to walk up to and order from themselves- and they TIPPED the cook) my staff were fighting over who got to work it!
During that first summer, as we were learning our way with this new novelty, we discovered that our restaurant staffs LOVED sandwiching the crabcakes onto one of our baking-staff's signature cottage-cheese/dill rolls that was among other fresh breads/rolls in our fine dining-room's bread basket. Next summer, what do you think I placed on our menu? EXACTLY! A crabcake sandwich on a cottage-cheese/dill bun!
That was in 1996 and after I left the hotel, that sandwich was spread to and served at all of the Princess lodges and hotels in Alaska, at the same copper-griddle stations, and to my knowledge (last veirified about 3 years ago) that sandwich is still offered- where it's been able to gather even more grab n' go foot traffic at all the properties... sadly though, I hear they now purchase a frozen crabcake, whereas we hand-mixed and hand-pressed our own. A proud moment for me and my staff from that year- most of whom, like me, are no longer w/Princess, tho it was a great outfit to work for.
Last edited:
chubbyalaskagriz
New member
Two different types of Crab-Pot in AK too, as elsewhere, KYH... the kitchen-pots they're boiled in, AND the devices thrown out of boats that they're caught in. Size of the latter ranges from as small as a laundry basket to the size of a VW Beetle!
It took a bit to work my way back, celebrated two birthdays
Now, chubbyAlaska, the only crabmeat I have ever seen that would be of a different color insofar as the the MD Blue is concerned would be the claw meat. I do not use claw meat for anything except I use the front legs (claws) in (tomato base) MD crab soup. I use only lump in cream of crab soup. I would not use picked claw meat even in crab salad. You mentioned yellowish color, could that be because the crabs were cooked in liquid and the 'mustard' in the crab spread throughout the crab meat? When steaming that does not happen. I have never seen yellowish crab meat in this area.
Methods of preparing crab cakes have changed over the past few years, the standard method was pan frying in real butter ONLY. Anything else was unacceptable. Today, broiling or baking the crab cake with ghee drizzled over the top before going into the oven is a very common method. Many restaurants in this area deep fry what they call the baseball (very large) cake, for convenience. Or mini crab cakes AKA crab balls.
Someone mentioned crab cakes with fried green tomatoes, here are a few of my very favorite recipes. Would love to try some of your's.
Crab Salad Over Fried Tomatoes
Crab Salad
1/2 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 fresh lime
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked clean
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives, plus extra for garnish
Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lime juice, paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add the crab and chives and gently mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Fried Tomatoes
Sixteen 1/2-inch thick slices green tomatoes (approximately 6 green tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups yellow cornmeal (I prefer a mix of cornmeal and flour)
Line a large platter or baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Season the tomatoes on both sides with salt, pepper and sugar. Spread the cornmeal onto a large platter or baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the tomatoes on both sides in the cornmeal and tap off the excess. Heat 1/2 of the oil in a large nonstick baking sheet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Fry the tomatoes in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon to the platter lined with paper towels. Repeat, adding more oil when needed. Top each tomato with a dollop of crab salad and garnish with a few chopped chives
AND ANOTHER
Blue Crab Gravy over Shrimp and Grits
For the Blue Crab Gravy:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces tasso ham, finely diced
1 cup finely diced white onion
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
1 yellow pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon spicy blackening Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
8 cups fish stock or vegetable or chicken stock, divided
4 ounces lump Blue Crab, PICKED CLEAN
4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 pounds spicy sausage, thinly sliced
Grits, prepare according to directions and flavor according to you taste
To make the Blue Crab Gravy:
Preheat a large bottom pot to medium-high heat.
Add butter to pot and let melt. Add ham, white onion, peppers, Cajun seasoning and Old Bay Seafood Seasoning, salt, brown sugar, onion powder, and minced garlic. Stir in flour and continue to cook while stirring until you achieve a dark brown color, a brown roux. Slowly whisk in 6 cups of fish stock, add slowly to help avoid lumps. Bring to a boil and use remaining 2 cups of stock to adjust for consistency. Remove from heat and add the crabmeat. Set aside for use.
In a saute pan, over medium-high heat, saute shrimp and sausage. Place shrimp and sausage over grits, if using, and top with crab gravy sauce.
Fresh Salmon Cakes with Ginger-Balsamic Sauce
1 lb. fresh, boneless salmon, wash salmon steak/filets, pat dry with paper towel, large dice to the size of of backfin crab meat
3-4 slices fresh sandwich bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 T Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
1 T horseradish
1 t French's Mustard
1/4 to 1/2 cup Hellmann's Mayonnaise (begin with 1/4 add more if needed)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t salt
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 T butter divided
Sauce, recipe follows
break bread into pieces and process in a food processor to make bread crumbs. In a large bowl, place large diced salmon. Add the beaten eggs and mix well. Add the next 6 ingredients and mix well. If needed add more bread crumbs. Shape the mixture into patties. Place pattied on large plate and chill for 15 minutes.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1 T butter over a medium heat. Add patties and cook for 5 minutes on each side, turning only once. Transfer the cooked patties to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and butter to the pan, and cook the rest of the salmon cakes, 5 minutes on each side.
Serve salmon cakes drizzled with the sauce and garnish with scallion or parsley
Ginger-Balsamic Sauce:
1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
Place Balsamic vinegar in small sauce pan. Over med-high heat bring to boil, boil down to syrup consistency, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Whisk until smoot
At the end of the day, chubbyAlaska, your prefer King/Snow, I prefer MD Blue -- nothing gained, nothing lost, so let's go enjoy some crab today!!
Now, chubbyAlaska, the only crabmeat I have ever seen that would be of a different color insofar as the the MD Blue is concerned would be the claw meat. I do not use claw meat for anything except I use the front legs (claws) in (tomato base) MD crab soup. I use only lump in cream of crab soup. I would not use picked claw meat even in crab salad. You mentioned yellowish color, could that be because the crabs were cooked in liquid and the 'mustard' in the crab spread throughout the crab meat? When steaming that does not happen. I have never seen yellowish crab meat in this area.
Methods of preparing crab cakes have changed over the past few years, the standard method was pan frying in real butter ONLY. Anything else was unacceptable. Today, broiling or baking the crab cake with ghee drizzled over the top before going into the oven is a very common method. Many restaurants in this area deep fry what they call the baseball (very large) cake, for convenience. Or mini crab cakes AKA crab balls.
Someone mentioned crab cakes with fried green tomatoes, here are a few of my very favorite recipes. Would love to try some of your's.
Crab Salad Over Fried Tomatoes
Crab Salad
1/2 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 fresh lime
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked clean
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives, plus extra for garnish
Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lime juice, paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add the crab and chives and gently mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Fried Tomatoes
Sixteen 1/2-inch thick slices green tomatoes (approximately 6 green tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 cups yellow cornmeal (I prefer a mix of cornmeal and flour)
Line a large platter or baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Season the tomatoes on both sides with salt, pepper and sugar. Spread the cornmeal onto a large platter or baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the tomatoes on both sides in the cornmeal and tap off the excess. Heat 1/2 of the oil in a large nonstick baking sheet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Fry the tomatoes in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon to the platter lined with paper towels. Repeat, adding more oil when needed. Top each tomato with a dollop of crab salad and garnish with a few chopped chives
AND ANOTHER
Blue Crab Gravy over Shrimp and Grits
For the Blue Crab Gravy:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces tasso ham, finely diced
1 cup finely diced white onion
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
1 yellow pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon spicy blackening Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
8 cups fish stock or vegetable or chicken stock, divided
4 ounces lump Blue Crab, PICKED CLEAN
4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 pounds spicy sausage, thinly sliced
Grits, prepare according to directions and flavor according to you taste
To make the Blue Crab Gravy:
Preheat a large bottom pot to medium-high heat.
Add butter to pot and let melt. Add ham, white onion, peppers, Cajun seasoning and Old Bay Seafood Seasoning, salt, brown sugar, onion powder, and minced garlic. Stir in flour and continue to cook while stirring until you achieve a dark brown color, a brown roux. Slowly whisk in 6 cups of fish stock, add slowly to help avoid lumps. Bring to a boil and use remaining 2 cups of stock to adjust for consistency. Remove from heat and add the crabmeat. Set aside for use.
In a saute pan, over medium-high heat, saute shrimp and sausage. Place shrimp and sausage over grits, if using, and top with crab gravy sauce.
Fresh Salmon Cakes with Ginger-Balsamic Sauce
1 lb. fresh, boneless salmon, wash salmon steak/filets, pat dry with paper towel, large dice to the size of of backfin crab meat
3-4 slices fresh sandwich bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 T Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
1 T horseradish
1 t French's Mustard
1/4 to 1/2 cup Hellmann's Mayonnaise (begin with 1/4 add more if needed)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t salt
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 T butter divided
Sauce, recipe follows
break bread into pieces and process in a food processor to make bread crumbs. In a large bowl, place large diced salmon. Add the beaten eggs and mix well. Add the next 6 ingredients and mix well. If needed add more bread crumbs. Shape the mixture into patties. Place pattied on large plate and chill for 15 minutes.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1 T butter over a medium heat. Add patties and cook for 5 minutes on each side, turning only once. Transfer the cooked patties to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and butter to the pan, and cook the rest of the salmon cakes, 5 minutes on each side.
Serve salmon cakes drizzled with the sauce and garnish with scallion or parsley
Ginger-Balsamic Sauce:
1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
Place Balsamic vinegar in small sauce pan. Over med-high heat bring to boil, boil down to syrup consistency, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Whisk until smoot
At the end of the day, chubbyAlaska, your prefer King/Snow, I prefer MD Blue -- nothing gained, nothing lost, so let's go enjoy some crab today!!
chubbyalaskagriz
New member
All of these sound heavenly MsMai... KYH also makes a shrimp & grits to DIE FOR!
Soft Shell Blue Sammie
Soft Shell Blue Sandwich
Crabs:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced or minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cleaned soft shell crabs (approximately 2 ounces each)
pinch Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
Sandwich:
2 large sandwich rolls, split and toasted
2 large tomato slices
2 Boston lettuce leaves
2 tablespoons Tartar Sauce (your favorite)
In a shallow medium bowl, whisk together the butter, garlic, salt, and seafood seasoning. Place the cleaned soft shell crabs in the bowl and cover it with the mixture.
Add butter to skillet place it over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add in the soft crabs and additional butter if needed.
Sauté the crabs for about 4 minutes per side or until the crabs have reddened and are slightly crispy.
Meanwhile, prepare the sandwich. Place the bottom half of the roll on a plate and cover it with the lettuce and tomato. Remove the crab from the skillet and place it on the sandwich and smother it with tartar sauce. If you wanted you could brush the top roll with the butter mixture from the skillet before placing it on top.
Soft Shell Blue Sandwich
Crabs:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced or minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cleaned soft shell crabs (approximately 2 ounces each)
pinch Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
Sandwich:
2 large sandwich rolls, split and toasted
2 large tomato slices
2 Boston lettuce leaves
2 tablespoons Tartar Sauce (your favorite)
In a shallow medium bowl, whisk together the butter, garlic, salt, and seafood seasoning. Place the cleaned soft shell crabs in the bowl and cover it with the mixture.
Add butter to skillet place it over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add in the soft crabs and additional butter if needed.
Sauté the crabs for about 4 minutes per side or until the crabs have reddened and are slightly crispy.
Meanwhile, prepare the sandwich. Place the bottom half of the roll on a plate and cover it with the lettuce and tomato. Remove the crab from the skillet and place it on the sandwich and smother it with tartar sauce. If you wanted you could brush the top roll with the butter mixture from the skillet before placing it on top.
chubbyalaskagriz
New member
Can I tell you a secret? A secret that as a chef I'm almost EMBARRASSED to confess?
I've cooked many soft shells.... but... I've NEVER been able to eat one.
After massacaring their l'il scalps off like a shouting banshee with a tomahawk, before dredging them in flour and sauteeing, I usually don't have an appetite at all. At least not enough of one to overcome my squeamishness and take a bite. Am I weird, or what?
I've cooked many soft shells.... but... I've NEVER been able to eat one.
After massacaring their l'il scalps off like a shouting banshee with a tomahawk, before dredging them in flour and sauteeing, I usually don't have an appetite at all. At least not enough of one to overcome my squeamishness and take a bite. Am I weird, or what?
chubbyalaskagriz
New member
I certainly appreciate knowing the "leg" secret MsMai... thanks 4 sharing as that certainly makes sense... but the thing I can't get my head around is hacking the face and scalp off a live crab and squeezing the brains out, then immediately flouring, pan-frying and eating just 6 minutes after the critter was thinking with said squeezed-out brains! Is there a way around that one, MsMai? Hee-Hee! (What do they taste like?)
I am afraid not, my friend. Those parts must be removed
I just shift to a different mindset to get the gruesome job over with.
They are quite delicious. They have a very delicate crab flavor. As I said before, most folks eat the 'mustard' aka 'yellow gook', I cannot do that. I remove it from steamed crabs too before picking them. Gotta have a clean crab, Chubs.
I just shift to a different mindset to get the gruesome job over with.
They are quite delicious. They have a very delicate crab flavor. As I said before, most folks eat the 'mustard' aka 'yellow gook', I cannot do that. I remove it from steamed crabs too before picking them. Gotta have a clean crab, Chubs.
Hey Chubs. I have been waiting to receive my monthly
newsletter from Crab Place. Here is the Link in case you want to check out some of the recipes, even softshellers.
Note: I am in no way associated with Crab Place except to recieve their newsletter.
CrabPlace.com, The Crab Place: Maryland Seafood, Steamed Blue Crabs, Crab Cakes, Oysters, Fish & More
newsletter from Crab Place. Here is the Link in case you want to check out some of the recipes, even softshellers.
Note: I am in no way associated with Crab Place except to recieve their newsletter.
CrabPlace.com, The Crab Place: Maryland Seafood, Steamed Blue Crabs, Crab Cakes, Oysters, Fish & More
P
patriot9878
Guest
this is a way to smoke the crabs
1/4 cup of water and a beer? It takes at least a 2 gallons of water. Plus don't put seasoning on crabs until you take the crabs out. You could sprinkle on a little water to make it stick, but putting the seasoning on before cooking is a waste.
1/4 cup of water and a beer? It takes at least a 2 gallons of water. Plus don't put seasoning on crabs until you take the crabs out. You could sprinkle on a little water to make it stick, but putting the seasoning on before cooking is a waste.