CRABCAKES AT THE CONROYS'

Of all places to find a crab cake recipe, AARP Magazine was not on my list.  The brief story in the April 2009 issue written by author Pat Conroy's wife, Cassandra King, drew me in.  They met over food, they romanced with food, and, in her words, "Pat said his crab cakes were so good I would want to marry him after tasting them.  They were, and I did."  With that kind of endorsement I just had to try the recipe, even though I was a skeptic.  How could these be good with so few ingredients?  Where would the flavor come from?  As my hubby, The Crab Guy, and I took our first bites, we understood completely that old adage, "less is more."  The flavor?  It comes from the crab meat, enhanced by a minimum of additives.  This is the best crab cake recipe ever.

The Conroys serve their crab cakes over arugula, tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and champagne vinegar.  Sounded lovely, maybe next time.  This time, we had fresh spinach sauteed lightly in olive oil and corn on the cob.  It was a meal to die for.

The Conroys use an entire pound of crab meat, yielding 4 generous crab cakes, for the two of them.  I halved the recipe to make one crab cake apiece for Guy and me.  It was plenty.

Crab Cakes at the Conroys'
Adapted from AARP Magazine, April 2009
Rating:  10 out of 10
Click for PRINTABLE PAGE


Crab Cakes:
8 oz. fresh lump crab meat
1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt, preferably grey salt
about 1/16 tsp. black pepper
1 small egg white
1-1/2 - 3 tsp. white whole wheat flour
2-4 tsp. unsalted butter
small cast-iron skillet or small flat, heavy skillet

Put crab meat in a bowl; pick over for shells.  Squeeze lemon juice over crab; salt and pepper lightly.  Gently toss together without breaking up crab meat pieces.  In a small dish, whisk egg white till foamy.  Pour over crab and gently mix in.  Using as little flour as possible, form mixture into two crab cakes.  Melt butter in cast-iron skillet (or in a flat, heavy skillet) until sizzling and just beginning to brown.  Carefully add crab cakes.  Brown on 1 side until crispy, about 2 minutes; turn carefully and brown the other side, about 2 minutes.  Remove to plates.  Serve with Caper Sauce.

Caper Sauce
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp. freshly chopped parsley
1-1/2 tsp. capers

Add butter to still-hot skillet, stirring to dislodge any crab bits still stuck to the skillet.  When butter begins to brown, add juice and turn off the heat.  Throw in capers and toss.  Drizzle sauce over crab cakes and serve.

MARYLAND CRAB CAKES II WITH SPICY RANCH AIOLI

The kitchen belongs to me:  I am the Crab Lady!  The Crab Guy is trying to invade my territory.  He insisted on making this recipe.

First, he steamed crabs that he caught.  Next, he picked.  For several hours.  He picked enough to make 1 lb. of crab meat.  Then he mixed the ingredients for crab cakes.  He used a recipe from allrecipes.com rated 4-1/2 stars.  Many reviewers, however, said the recipe needed more flavor (hot sauce, Old Bay....).  The Crab Guy wanted to make the original recipe, but I insisted that he add a bit more hot sauce, which he did.  The recipe just said, "salt and pepper to taste," so he added 1/8 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper.  It needed a bit more, so I've doubled the amount in the recipe below.

First, let me say that these were good crab cakes.  There is very little filler, mostly just a binder to hold the crab meat together.  The sauce (mine) was not in the original recipe, and goes well with the crab.  The concept of broiling versus frying is one I agree with in theory, but the reality is that broiling crab cakes makes for a somewhat hard crust.  My personal preference is for a crispy, more tender crust, which can only be had by sauteeing or frying.

If you make these, be sure you pick through the crab meat and get all the pieces of shell and cartilage out.  There's nothing worse than biting into a crab cake and getting a mouthful of shells.  And, by the way, my favorite crab cakes are still Maryland Pavilion Crab Cakes, first introduced at the 1964 World's Fair.

Maryland Crab Cakes II
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
CLICK FOR PRINTABLE PAGE

Spicy Ranch Aioli:
1/2 cup bottled ranch dressing
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro

Crab Cakes:
1 lb. crab meat, picked over to remove shells and cartilage
1-1/2 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. sea salt (changed from the original)
1/8 tsp. black pepper (changed from the original)
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. ground dry mustard
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce (changed from the original)

In small bowl, combine aioli ingredients; set aside.  Preheat broiler.  Combine crab meat, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper.  Beat together egg, mayo, hot sauce and mustard.  Combine with other ingredients and mix well, but lightly, taking care not to press too hard on the crab meat.  Form into patties and place on a lightly greased broiler pan or baking sheet.  Broil for 10-15 minutes, until lightly brown.  Serve with spicy ranch aioli.   Yield:  5 crab cakes

A BEACH SNOW-CRAB PARTY

Our friends, Tom and Micki, invited us for a snow-crab party at a beach house they "borrowed" for the weekend.  We were joined by their sons, Ian and Hunter and Shelley and Frank and their two boys.  It was a fun time.  Frank is a natural comedian and loves to clown.

 He had fun showing us how high he could kick.

The guys cooked the snow crabs with Old Bay seasoning.  Snow crabs are already fully cooked when you buy them frozen.  They just need to be thawed and heated through, making them an easy party food.  Just be sure, if you cook them, not to overcook them, which is what so many people do.  Remember they are already cooked.  If you overcook them, they will turn mushy, and you will not enjoy them.  It only takes about 10 minutes of steaming to heat them through.  See my post on steaming crabs for directions.

Here are the boys at their table, enjoying crabs.

And here are the adults at their table.

After we filled ourselves up with crab, we ate some great cannoli and my sour cream peach pecan pie.

Thanks, Micki and Tom, for a great evening!

GARY'S STUFFED CRABS

Our friend, Gary, who has a terrific website, all about crabs, made these wonderful stuffed crabs for our recent crab party.  They disappeared quickly, and everyone raved over them.  Here is how he made them:

Gary's Stuffed Crabs
INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. imitation crab meat mixed with real snow crab meat
4 oz. mini (salad) shrimp
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1 (8 oz.) bottle of clam juice
16 oz. herb-seasoned bread stuffing
1/2 cup water
15 crab shells
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)
freshly chopped parsley

Heat oven to 375F.  In large bowl, combine crab meat, shrimp, butter, oil, wine and clam juice, mixing lightly till just blended.  Fold in stuffing mix by hand, then add water gradually till mixture is moist.  Divide mixture among the crab shells and place on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with cheese, then seasoning, and finally parsley.  Bake 25-30 minutes or till lightly browned and hot.  Serve immediately with lemon slices and cocktail forks.

Check out Gary's crab blog for more recipes, crabbing tutorials and everything crab.

FONDUTA CRAB MAC 'N' CHEESE

What a strange-sounding title for an absolutely delicious recipe!  Originally printed in Sauce Magazine, it was adapted by Lynsey Lou, and I adapted it again.  How close is this to the original?  It's anybody's guess.  All I know is this is one great recipe.  The flavors blend beautifully, and better yet, all the flavor of the crabs come through.  It's amazing how many people add the worst ingredients to crabs, masking their delicate flavor.  Not  this one.  You get the full crab flavor, enhanced by the added ingredients, in a rich, creamy sauce that's to  die for with exotic flavor.  Really, give this one a try.  You won't be diisappointed.

Fonduta Crab Mac 'n' Cheese
PRINTABLE RECIPE
Adapted Half Recipe from Lynsey Lou's and Sauce Magazine
Rating:  10 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Fonduta Cream (Recipe follows)
2 Tbsp. drinkable quality dry white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 oz. picked crabmeat
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 lb. medium shelll pasta, cooked
Breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 425F.  In a 2-quart saucepan, combine fonduta cream, wine and heavy cream.  Bring to simmer over medium low heat, being careful not to scorch.  Add crab meat and simmer for 1 minute or till crab is heated through.  Remove from heat; stir in butter; adjust seasoning.  Stir in cooked pasta; transfer to a buttered casserole dish.  Sprinkle breadcrumbs over top.  Bake 20-25 minutes, or till top is browned and filling is bubbly and hot.  Serves 4 small eaters, or 2 large eaters.

Fonduta Cream
INGREDIENTS: 
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup drinking quality dry white wine (or chicken broth)
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 cup 2% milk
3 oz. cheese (mix cheddar, asiago and gouda)
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt & Pepper to taste

Saute onion in the butter till softened.  Stir in flour; add wine; whisk to combine.  Add cream and milk and bring to a simmer.  Off heat; stir in cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

CRAB STUFFED FLOUNDER FILLETS

Our local Harris Teeter provided this recipe when flounder fillets were on sale recently, so I thought I'd try it. We were not disappointed. This was excellent, partly because the flounder and crab meat were both so fresh and delicious. The only problem I had was the fish didn't brown. But it was moist, flavorful, tender and succulent; the crab meat filling was perfectly seasoned, and the crab flavor came through. So many recipes overpower the delicate crabs with too-spicy ingredients. Hats off to Harris Teeter for a great recipe!


Crab-Stuffed Flounder Fillets
Adapted half-version from Harris Teeter
Rating: 10 out of 10


INGREDIENTS:
1/4 stick (2 Tbsp.) unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 small clove garlic, chopped finely
1-1/2 Tbsp. lite mayonnaise
1/2 cup soft plain breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
big pinch of grated lemon zest
sea salt and black peppers to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup crab meat
3 flounder fillets, about 1/4-1/3 lb. each
1 Tbsp. melted butter

Heat oven to 375F. In medium-sized saute pan or fry pan, over medium heat, saute celery, onions and garlic till soft, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in mayo, breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon zest, salt and peppers; gently fold in crab meat; set aside.

Rinse fillets under cold running water; pat dry with paper towels. Brush fillets with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper. Divide stuffing evently among fillets, placing towards one end of each. Roll up and place in a greased pie plate, seam side down. Cover with aluminum foil loosely; bake about 15 minutes. Remove foil. Bake additional 5-10 minutes to brown and cook fish through. Drizzle with lemon butter, if desired, and sprinkle with paprika.  Yield:  2-3 servings

A NEW, DISAPPOINTING CRAB SEASON, BUT A GREAT CRAB PARTY

Crab season in Eastern North Carolina has gotten off to a shaky start. Last year we had a glut of crabs.....if anyone so much as passed by our house, they got crabs. We had crabs in the freezer till January. We ate crab soup, crab salad, spaghetti and crabs, steamed crabs..... till they came out our ears it seemed.

This year, it's lean pickin's. The price of a bushel of crabs has doubled because of the scarcity of them. We are conjecturing that a stormy July has chased them away, or maybe they've just dug themselves into the sand. It's anyone's guess. The crabs that are being caught are small. So I was a little worried when we were invited to a crab party. But the crabs,though small, were meaty, sweet and delicious. Guy and I helped set up the tables before everyone arrived. Of course, he used his "crab" paper and crab boards.

We planned to serve the crabs in shifts. It's an informal type of eating anyway, with crabs; and there was plenty of other food for people to pick on as they waited for their turn at the "crab" table. When they got their turn, it was all fun. Some knew how to pick crabs and some didn't.

Here I am enjoying some wonderful Mediterranean chicken-orzo salad after eating my fill of crabs. My hubby always gets me in the most dignified of poses. I brought Green Bean and Radish Salad, Whole-Grain Blueberry Crumb Bars and Peanutty Peanut Butter-Chocolate Bars. All the recipes will eventually be on my other blog.

Eddie, who's from New Jersey originally, now from Kinston, made delicious clam chowder for us.

Some were inside, some were outside, there was food everywhere.

It was fun to see some of the kids trying crab for the first time. And they liked it!

Shelley and Chris, from Cleveland, Ohio, had a good time. Crabs are scarce in Cleveland, so this was a treat! Chris is a Cleveland Browns fan like the crab Guy.

Here I am again, getting just one more crab....so good.

Everyone had a good time -- good food, good company, good booze.

No, they're not rooting through garbage, they're looking for beer.