Crabmeat Tapas
Crab Artichoke Nibbles
Stuffed Soft Crabs
Michael's Crab Dip
Double Sauced Crab Urchins
Rehearsal Dinner Crab
Annapolis' Finest Crab Casserole
Barb's Crab Scramble
Soft Shell Crabs with Lemon, Capers and Herbs

From: " >
Request: alternative uses for soft crabs

Crabmeat Tapas

>From Chesapeake Bay Crab Cookbook by John Shields

12 tartlet shells or use eggroll wrappers in muffin tins.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deveined and finely diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced drained capers
2 hard cooked eggs, finely chopped
2 tablespoon minced yellow onion
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound backfin or special crab meat, picked
1/4 pound air-dried ham, such as Smithfield or prosciutto, cut into small dice
Green Spanish olives, pitted, for garnish.

In a small skillet over medium high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the bell
pepper and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together
the mayonnaise, capers, eggs, onion, lemon juice, parsley and black pepper.
Gently fold the crab meat, ham and sauteed peppers into the mayonnaise
mixture. Mound the mixture into the prebaked tartlet shells and garnish with
olives. Serve as hors d'oeuvres.

Note: Instead of using individual tartlet shells, arrange the entire mixture
in a pre-baked 12-inch tart shell. Cut into individual-size pieces to serve.




Crab Artichoke Nibbles

2 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 pound crab meat
1 small finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
Old Bay seasoning, to taste

Drain marinade from artichokes into skillet. Chop artichokes and set aside
with crab meat. Saute onions and garlic in marinade until onions are clear.
In mixing bowl, combine eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, Tabasco,
cheese, parsley and marinade mixture; mix well. Fold in artichokes and crab
meat. Spread in baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Sprinkle
with Old Bay seasoning for the Annapolis touch. Cool slightly, cut into
squares and serve.




Stuffed Soft Crabs

12 medium Maryland soft crabs, cleaned
1 pound backfin crab meat
1/2 cup butter or margarine

Dry soft crabs with paper towels. Remove all cartilage from crab meat. Put
soft crabs in shallow baking pan. Remove top shell from crabs and stuff each
crab cavity with about 3 tablespoons crab meat. Replace top shell. Melt
butter and pour evenly over crabs. Bake in 400-degree oven until shells turn
red and crabs are slightly brown, about 15 minutes. Serves 6.




Michael's Crab Dip

1 pound backfin crab
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning 1 pint sour cream
4 ounces sharp cheese, grated

Soften cream cheese. Beat in sour cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce
and Old Bay seasoning. Fold in crab meat and cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350
degrees. Serve with crackers.





Double Sauced Crab Urchins

1 pound backfin or lump crab meat
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons fresh chopped ginger
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
24 capers
1 package shredded fillo dough

Marinate ginger in heavy cream for 20 minutes, then strain. Com bine crab
meat, flavored cream, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, cheese, parsley, cilantro
and lime juice. Put reserved ginger in a garlic press and add pulp to crab
mixture. Gently fold to mix. Divide into 16 mounds. Press 3 capers into each
mound. Pull apart fillo and brush lightly with butter. Cover crab mound with
fillo. Brush again with butter. Place on baking sheet covered with parchment
paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until fillo is brown. Makes 8
appetizer servings.





Rehearsal Dinner Crab


1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
3 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 slice white bread, crust removed and broken in tiny pieces
1/4 cup sherry
1 pound backfin crab meat

In a double boiler, melt cheese and butter. Add milk slowly, then add cream.
Thoroughly mix in spices. Add bread, stir in wine and use a whisk to blend
well. Cook until slightly thickened. At the last minute, add crab meat. Put
away the whisk; using a spoon, stir only as necessary to make sure all of
the mixture is warm. Serve over patty shells.

Note: This recipe took first place in the Best Ever Crab Recipe Contest held
in St. Michaels.





Annapolis' Finest Crab Casserole


2 cups medium white sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Salt
Lemon pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
1/2 cup green pepper, minced
1 cup minced celery
1 large onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry sherry
Juice of 1 lemon
2 pounds fresh lump crab meat
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup medium or sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
1 cup Saltine cracker crumbs, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika


Make white sauce, flavoring it with Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt and pepper
In medium pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute green pepper, celery, onion
and garlic. Add this mixture to cream sauce. Saute mushrooms in another 2
tablespoons butter and mix with cream sauce.
Add sherry, lemon juice, crab meat, parsley, Cheddar and cup Parmesan to
cream sauce. Mix thoroughly but gently. Pour mixture into greased
9-by-13-inch casserole and sprinkle top with remaining Parmesan and cracker
crumbs. Top with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly




Barb's Crab Scramble

4 tablespoons butter or margarine
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1 pound crab meat
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat butter or margarine in a 9-by-13inch baking
dish placed in the oven. Beat eggs, milk, salt, pepper and dill until fluffy
Stir in crab meat and cream cheese. Pour into baking dish. Bake at 350
degrees for 40 to 50 minutes until set in the center. Serves 9.




Soft Shell Crabs with Lemon, Capers and Herbs

8 soft shell crabs, cleaned and patted dry with paper towels
Flour for dredging
10 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon drained tiny capers, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
1 scallion, minced
Ground black pepper

Dredge crabs in flour, pat off excess. Heat two heavy bottomed frying pans
until quite hot, about 3 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of butter to each pan,
swirling pans to keep butter from burning. When foam subsides, turn heat to
high and add four crabs, skins down, to each pan. Cover pans with splatter
screen and cook, adjusting heat as necessary to keep butter from burning,
about 5 minutes. Turn crabs with spatula or tongs and cook until second side
is browned, about 5 more minutes. Drain crabs on paper towel-lined plate.
Set one pan aside. Pour off butter from other pan and remove from heat. Add
remaining ingredients, including 2 tablespoons butter and pepper to one of
the warm pans. Cook sauce until ingredients are mixed, swirling pan to melt
butter. Arrange two crabs on each of four plates. Spoon about 1 tablespoon
of sauce over each plate and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Linda in Tennessee


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