Tamarind crab

It's Dungeness crab season here which makes for some very easy, but tasty dinners. The sauce on this is sweet, salty, and sour. It absorbs nicely into the meat (and on your fingers while you try to get meat out of those little legs) without overpowering the crab.

One year ago: Pureed Beets with Yogurt and Za'atar
Two years ago: Butternut Squash Pie
Three years ago: Pad Thai
Four years ago: Spinach Quiche

Tamarind Crab (from Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table)

Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 shallots, minced
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 fresh Dungeness crab, cleaned, cut into 4 or 6 pieces, tomalley reserved
2 - 3 tbsp tamarind pulp, juiced
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 scallions, cut into 2" lengths
5 sprigs cilantro, cut into 2" lengths

1. Place oil in a large skillet and heat over high. Add shallots and garlic and stir until fragrant, 10 seconds.
2. Add crab tomalley, reduce heat slightly, and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Add crab, tamarind juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir so crab is well coated.
4. Simmer until crab is cooked, ~10 minutes.
5. Stir in scallions, transfer to serving plates, and garnish with cilantro.

Sole Stuffed with Crab

December is always such a busy month that it's hard to find time to cook, let alone find time to post recipes, so that means my bar is a bit higher than normal when determining what makes it up here. Those delicious pork burgers that pair with homemade sun-dried ketchup? A little too much work for most people to make it up to the blog. An incredibly delicious crab dish that's simple enough to make it on the table in less than 30 minutes? Absolutely. These are easy enough for a weeknight, but nice enough for company. You can also assemble these ahead of time to cut down on the last minute work.

One year ago: Galveston Crab Cake
Two years ago: Quick and Easy Chinese Greens
Three years ago: Goat Cheese and Asparagus Risotto
Four years ago: Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Sole Stuffed with Crab (from Fish Without a Doubt)

Ingredients
8 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup minced shallots
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk, heated
coarse salt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
freshly ground white pepper
cayenne
1 lb jumbo lump crabmeat
6 (5 ounce) Dove sole fillets
dry breadcrumbs

(If not making in advance, preheat oven to 450F.)
1. Set up a bowl of ice with some water and set a smaller bowl on the ice. Set aside.
2. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until softened, 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring until roux smells toasty, about 6 minutes. Don't let it brown. (If you're scaling down, this may go quite a bit more quickly!)
4. Take pan off heat and whisk in milk, dissolving the roux. Season with salt and return to heat.
5. Bring sauce to a simmer, stirring, reduce heat to low and simmer until very thick.
6. Stir in mustard, lemon juice, and parsley. Season with pepper, cayenne, and salt.
7. Fold in crab and scrape into iced bowl to cool down quickly.
8. Melt remaining 5 tbsp butter and brush 6 individual gratin dishes with butter. Divide crab among gratins, mounding in center.
9. Cut sole fillets down center and then make a diagonal cut through each half. Drape 4 pieces of fish over stuffing in each gratin, so they cover the crab completely.
10. Brush fish with remaining melted butter. You can now refrigerate for up to a day.
11. Season fish with salt and just a tiny bit of cayenne. Dust lightly with a pinch or two of breadcrumbs for each casserole.
12. Bake until stuffing is bubbling and browning at edges, 10 minutes. Serve.

Crab Poached in Scampi Butter Sauce

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... crab season! We started it off with nine precious ounces of Dungeness crab meat from our seafood box. I decided to start off by keeping things simple and highlighting the crab in a rich, scampi sauce. The whole dish comes together very quickly and easily, although the butter should be made a bit ahead of time. The good news is though that the butter can be made up to a week ahead of time. This is a restaurant quality meal that requires very little work.

Two years ago: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Three years ago: Poutine Calzones
Four years ago: Pecan Pie

Crab Poached in Scampi Butter Sauce (from Fish Without a Doubt)

Ingredients
Butter Sauce
8 large garlic cloves, cut in half
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
3 tbsp dry white wine or vermouth
Pasta
12 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
1/2 lb fresh fettuccine
chopped parsley or basil

1. Turn a food processor on and drop garlic down feed tube, then add shallot.
2. Scrape sides of bowl and add butter and Tabasco sauce.
3. Process until light and fluffy. Season with salt and white pepper. Process to combine.
4. Pack butter into small bowl, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until firm.
5. Bring wine to simmer in small saucepan. Simmer for about 2 minutes to cook off alcohol, but not reduce.
6. Whisk in cold scampi butter about 1 tbsp at a time to make emulsified sauce. Simmer at low heat.
7. Stir crab into sauce, trying not to break up lumps, and keep warm on back of stove.
8. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente.
9. Drain pasta and diving among 4 plates. Spoon crab and sauce over pasta, top with chopped herb, and serve.

Crab Cakes with Cilantro Pesto

If you already have you crab picked, this makes for a quick and easy dinner. You could save even more time by skipping on making the pesto and just adding equivalent amounts of cilantro, garlic, and pepper to the mix (Or you could make a large batch of pesto for other recipes and to freeze for later). The crab cake mixture is rather moist, so be careful when dredging in flour. The green color of the cakes is a bit odd, but the taste is worth it.

One year ago: Pork Tenderloin with Crusted Mediterranean Herbs
Two years ago: Stir-fried Orange Beef

Crab Cakes with Cilantro Pesto (from Real Thai)
Ingredients
Sweet-Hot Garlic Sauce
1/2 lb cooked lump crabmeat
1/2 lb ground pork
2 tbsp Cilantro pesto
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1 cup flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
handful of fresh cilantro
3 fresh red chee fah chilies, cut into long thin strips or 9 long, thin sweet red pepper strips

1. In a medium bowl, gently combine crabmeat, pork, pesto, egg, fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, and sugar. Mix well.
2. Put flour on a plate.
3. Shape crab-pork mixture into small cakes, Dip each cake in flour to lightly coat.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crab cakes and saute turning once until golden brown and cooked, 5 minutes per side.
5. Transfer cakes to serving platter and garnish with cilantro and chili. Serve with dipping sauce.

Cilantro Pesto
1 tbsp whole white of black peppercorns
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro roots or leaves and stems
1/2 cup coarsely chopped garlic

1. Grinder peppercorns.
2. Combine pepper, cilantro, and garlic in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Crab Quiche

I received a copy of the classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking for my birthday and while I've enjoyed flipping through it, I'm sad to say I haven't really put it to good use. This recipe should be a reminder not to let good resources go to waste. It's a simple, straight-forward recipe that tastes amazingly rich (thanks to cream, crab, and cheese). Now you could use a pre-made pastry base, but the recipe included in the book is too good to pass up. It's rich and flaky with a perfect texture. It also rolls out like a breeze. The original calls for a mixture of butter and vegetable shortening. We don't have shortening, so I substituted lard.

One year ago: Cabbage and Cucumber Slaw with Roasted Peanuts
Two years ago: Ninfa's Red Sauce
Three years ago: Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheese Chowder

Crab Quiche (from Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

Ingredients
Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp butter
2 1/4 tbsp lard (or vegetable shortening)
4 1/2 tbsp water
3/8 tsp salt
pinch of sugar
Filling
2 tbsp minced shallots or green onions
3 tbsp butter
1/4 lb cooked crab or diced cooked shrimp or lobster
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
2 tbsp madeira or dry white vermouth
3 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

1. Place flour, salt, sugar, butter, and lard in large mixing bowl. With a pastry blender or your fingers mix until fat is broken into pieces the size of oatmeal flakes.
2. Add water and blend into a mass of dough.
3. Place dough on lightly floured pastry board. With the heel of one hand, press pastry into a smear. Gather the dough back into a mass, knead into a ball, and wrap in wax paper. Place in freezer for 1 hour or in fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight.
4. Roll dough until it is thin enough to be placed into a 8 or 9" tart pan. Fold dough edges around pan.
5. Place quiche dough in oven until oven is preheated to 400F.
6. Prick bottom of quiche with fork. Cover with aluminum foil. Weight down with beans or pie weights. Bake for 8 - 9 minutes.
7. Remove foil and weights and prick pastry a few more times with weights. Cook another 2 - 3 minutes.
8. Reduce oven temperature to 375F.
9. Meanwhile, cook shallots in butter for 1 - 2 minutes over moderate heat in a medium frying pan until tender.
10. Add crab to onions and warm for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle on salt and pepper.
11. Add wine to crab and boil for a moment. Allow to cool slightly.
12. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with cream, tomato paste, and seasonings.
13. Blend in crab. Pour mixture into pastry shell, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 30 minutes until quiche has puffed and browned.

Sri Lankan Crabs with Spinach and Coconut Milk

Oh my! The sweetness of crab combined with a little kick of heat and the creaminess of coconut milk. It really doesn't get much better than that. Best of all, all this dish really needs is some rice (may I suggest this Sri Lankan rice dish?) to form a complete meal.

One year ago: Watercress, Pistachio, and Orange Blossom Salad
Two years ago: Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Muffins
Three years ago: Tomatillo Sauce

Sri Lankan Crabs with Spinach and Coconut Milk (from 660 Curries)
Ingredients
8 live blue crabs or 1 lb uncooked or cooked crab meat
5 large garlic cloves
2 lengthwise slices ginger (2"x1"x1/8")
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
2 tbsp canola oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp Untoasted Sri Lankan Curry Powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 large tomato, cored and finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
2 fresh green chiles, stems removed and cut in half
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cups coconut milk
1 lb baby spinach
juice of 1 lime

1. If using live crabs, boil them to put them to rest and remove meat from crab.
2. Put garlic, ginger, peppercorns, and mustard seeds in mortar and pound with pestle to a pulpy, gritty paste.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and paste and stir-fry until light brown, 3 - 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in curry powder and cayenne and cook 1 minute.
5. Stir in tomato, salt, chiles, cinnamon sticks, and coconut milk.
6. Bring to a boil and stir in crabmeat. Lower heat to medium, cover pan and simmer until crabmeat is cooked (or warmed through if using already cooked meat).
7. Stir in half of spinach and simmer uncovered until it wilts. Repeat.
8. Stir in lime juice and serve.

Galveston Crab Cakes

I've been holding out on you, skipping on Chinese dumpling recipes and Burmese delights. While those recipes have been good, I already have quite a few dumpling recipes posted and to be honest, it's quite a bit of work to make. I enjoy it, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. As for the Burmese? I think I'll wait to post until I try a recipe that's a better introduction to the cuisine.

This recipe, however, is a delicious dish that's quick and easy to make. We've been enjoying the fresh crab here this December and I can only hope that the new year is just as kind to us.

One year ago: Quick and Easy Chinese Greens
Two years ago: Goat Cheese and Asparagus Risotto
Three years ago: Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Galveston Crab Cakes (from Stop and Smell the Rosemary)

Ingredients
1 lb fresh lump crab meat
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil

1. Place crabmeat in large bowl. Add breadcrumbs and mix.
2. In separate bowl, combine egg, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, pepper, parsley, cayenne, horseradish, and lemon juice.
3. Blend egg mixture into crab mixture. Form mixture into 6 crab cakes.
4. Heat butter and oil in large skillet. Add crab cakes and saute until golden brown.
5. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve with tartar sauce if desired.

Black Pepper Crab

Our seafood CSA gave us two cooked Dungeness crabs while I was in Montreal for work. I was a bit at a loss on how best to highlight it until I found this delightful recipe. The spice paste seemed like it would be too much, but it worked great. This is a bit messy to eat, so I wouldn't necessarily serve this for company. It does taste good enough for company though!

One year ago: Bobotie
Two years ago: Peppermint Meringues
Three years ago: Stewed Lentils and Tomatoes

Black Pepper Crab (from Cradle of Flavor)

Ingredients
Flavoring Paste
4 tbsp black peppercorns
8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tsp ground turmeric
3 tbsp thinly sliced ginger
3/4 tsp kosher salt
Rest
3 tbsp peanut oil
3/4 cup water
3 lbs cooked king crab or snow crab legs and claws or cooked Dungeness crabs, cleaned and quartered

1. Place peppercorns in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add garlic, turmeric, and ginger and pulse until a smooth paste.
2. Heat oil in a wok over medium-low heat. Add paste and saute, stirring, until paste begins to separate from oil, 5 - 7 minutes.
3. Add water and crab and raise heat to medium-high. Stir-fry until crab pieces are hot and coated with flavoring paste, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to platter and serve immediately.