The Dungeness crab topic

[David Ross]

I did four Dungeness Crab dishes for the holidays, (posted over in our 2019 Holiday discussion here https://forums.egullet.org/topic/159763-2019-holiday-cooking-and-baking/?tab=comments#comment-2220461).  Dungeness is a long-standing tradition in the Pacific Northwest during the holidays, if Mother Nature agrees. Next on tap later next week will be Dungeness Crab Bisque.  

 

Years ago we had a fish shop that sold Dungeness live, so I thought it would be best if I brought them home live and cooked them myself.  It wasn't worth the trouble, and I should have had him steam the crabs right in the shop.  It's no extra cost and saves the trouble of bringing a live crab home and hoping it survives the drive.

 

First is basic.  Just fresh Dungeness Crab Legs with Drawn Butter.  It's funny because when friends of family hear "drawn" or "clarified" butter they have no clue what it is.  Then I tell them, show them and they taste it.  I think it's the most pure and true form of tasting butter.  

Ingredients-

4 Steamed and chilled Dungeness crabs, about 1 1/2-2 lbs. each 

2 cups salted butter

fresh lemon wedges

 

Serving the crab-

Place some crushed ice in the bottom of a large serving bowl to make a bed for the crab legs. Break the legs off the crab and break the body piece in half. Arrange the crab legs and body pieces on top of the ice. Serve with wedges of fresh lemon.

 

[David Ross]

When I was a kid, we'd take an annual Friday after Thanksgiving trip to shop in the big city of Portland.  Lunch was always at what my Father called a "fancy" place.  There was one particular hotel we went to that had fresh Dungeness crab on the menu.  It was served on a toasted English muffin with warm hollandaise-cheese sauce over the top.  That was a big treat for a kid, along with the "Roy Rogers" I had to drink.  I'm glad my folks gave me the gift of loving fresh crab and oysters when I was young.

[Katie Meadow]

As an east coast child I never heard of Dungeness crab until I moved to the Bay Area a million years ago. When I had my first one at a Chinese restaurant in SF I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Fifteen years ago or before in Oakland Chinatown I could buy live ones for a couple of dollars per pound right out of the tank  In those days I was willing to throw a live crab into a pot of boiling water, but I'm far too squeamish now. And the price of a whole garlic roast crab or black bean sauce crab in a restaurant is just daunting. And now the crab catch is usually slim and so are the crabs, at least in CA, for obvous reasons.

 

Am I correct in guessing that the main ingredient in a Roy Rogers is Coke?

[lindag]

At the Costco here all the crab I saw was marked 'previously frozen'.  I never bought any.

The crab in the regular grocery stores is fresh.

[Owtahear]

On ‎12‎/‎28‎/‎2017 at 12:14 PM, Katie Meadow said:

Availability of live or fresh Dungeness crab is seasonal on the west coast. If you buy a dungeness crab in June or August or September you are buying frozen crab that has been defrosted, at least here in CA. Not that it can't be tasty, but it will not be quite as good and it may be expensive. Most people I know just don't eat Dungeness crab except in season. I don't know the parameters of the commercial season further north, but surely it does not extend into summer. When you buy cooked cracked crab it is worth asking where it comes from and whether it has been frozen or not. Best to buy from a reputable source that will answer those questions so at least you know what you are getting.

 

Crab season on the west coast varies according to numbers, quality and safely concerns, but in the past in CA it has typically opened in late November or early December. If memory serves, WA and other northern states open their seasons earlier; we used to get fresh crab over Thanksgiving weekend that was shipped down to the Bay Area before our local season opened. Until recent years there has almost always been fresh local crab by Xmas; eating crab on xmas day in Chinese restaurants is a fabulous tradition and a mob scene! Business must be hurting. 

 

Many crab lovers agree that quality tends to go down by spring, even if the season is still open. The commercial season ends to give crabs time to recover their numbers for the next year. This year reasons for the shortage are murky. Quality, possible toxins from algal blooms, you name it. In WA state the suspension of the season seems to be about the amount of meat per crab as noted above. In OR there were reports of a toxin in a few crabs. Here in northern CA they are saying various unclear things about safety. Frustrating, definitely. The fact that the last few years have been so disappointing can't be just a coincidence. 

That's interesting that you feel the quality goes down as the season goes on.    Because with Blue Crabs, at least in Maryland, is usually May through October, and the crabs in September are considered the peak, most meat, sweetest.  And in fact early season crabs, even live, are likely flown in from the Gulf and not local

[KennethT]

33 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

 

Am I correct in guessing that the main ingredient in a Roy Rogers is Coke?

As far as I remember, a Roy Rogers is very similar to a Shirley Temple, but subbed 7Up or something for the ginger ale.

[blue_dolphin]

44 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

Am I correct in guessing that the main ingredient in a Roy Rogers is Coke?

 

When I was a kid, there was a restaurant that served Roy Rogers to my brothers and a Shirley Temple to me.  Their Roy Rogers used cola instead of the ginger ale in the Shirley Temple. 

[rotuts]

I grew up in a family that was frugal.

 

not excessively frugal , but frugal.  frugal = understanding the value of savings.

 

we lived on the Peninsula ( S.F. ) and my parents were teachers.

 

in the 50's and '60's  I lived in France and Spain for two years each.  F and S then was inexpensive

 

and my parents were on sabbaticals and had scholarships to teach.  that opened up a lot of food experiences for me.

 

But my mother didn't care for fish very much.  Fast Forward :

 

one town/city up from was was Menlo Park,   Cook's Seafood .  the freshest fish Ive ever had 

 

and then there was the Crab Season  ( you were wating for this , right ? }

 

I talked them into a few , when the price point was lowest , and spread newspaper all over the table we ate at

 

one went to work on the two large cooked crabs i got from CS.    I got the idea of using newspaper from Time-Life

 

books on American Cooking   East Coast ( from the Library ) re Maryland Crab Eating.

 

although it took me some time , the pile of meat carefully removed from the crabs was astonishing 

 

both my parents loved it , and we had leftovers for a second meal.   I was not advanced enough to use the

 

shells , just as well.

 

but i always remember my first Taste of that Dungeness Crab.  Id I was home

 

" in season "  my mother would slyly ask :  " What about you getting a couple of those crabs , etc etc. "

 

very unusual for my mother to say.   an added bonus for her was I did all the work !

 

so if you are on the W coast or have DC's shipped to you of High Quality 

 

do your best to not pass one by , esp if you have children.

 

you will probably get to see their eyes sparkle .  

 

well worth the price , with in reason.

 

 

[David Ross]

1 hour ago, Katie Meadow said:

As an east coast child I never heard of Dungeness crab until I moved to the Bay Area a million years ago. When I had my first one at a Chinese restaurant in SF I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Fifteen years ago or before in Oakland Chinatown I could buy live ones for a couple of dollars per pound right out of the tank  In those days I was willing to throw a live crab into a pot of boiling water, but I'm far too squeamish now. And the price of a whole garlic roast crab or black bean sauce crab in a restaurant is just daunting. And now the crab catch is usually slim and so are the crabs, at least in CA, for obvous reasons.

 

Am I correct in guessing that the main ingredient in a Roy Rogers is Coke?

Roy Rogers was 7-Up with maraschino cherry syrup and a cherry garnish.  My sister, got the same drink but it was called Shirley Temple.

[David Ross]

1 hour ago, lindag said:

At the Costco here all the crab I saw was marked 'previously frozen'.  I never bought any.

The crab in the regular grocery stores is fresh.

That's really important to look for.  Some of the big supermarkets up here, Fred Meyer is one, start selling Dungeness Crab in the late Fall before the season even opens.  There's a tiny disclaimer that says previously frozen, but most folks don't even notice.  It's a big ruse in my opinion because those are crabs they never sold and sunk in the deep freeze.  That has a negative impact on the texure of the meat once it's thawed.

[David Ross]

For many years my folks always held an annual Holiday "cocktail" party.  One of the highlights was my Father's Hot Dungeness Crab Dip.  I still have the original magazine clipping he used for the recipe.  It's probably dated in the early 1960's and most likely came out of Sunset Magazine or Better Homes and Gardens.  He always served it in the fondue pot with the little sterno burner underneath.  I loved it because it was even better the next day.  "Deviled" dishes were very popular in the 50's and 60's, and folks used a lot of Worcestershire as the "devil" ingredient.  I've always loved it and use it in lots of recipes still today.

 

 

Ingredients-

1 cup fresh Dungeness crab meat

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. cayenne red pepper

3 tbsp. chopped green onions

3 tbsp. toasted slivered almonds

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. paprika

 

Instructions-

Toast the slivered almonds-

Heat the oven to 350. Spread toasted almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

 

Heat a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the milk and cream cheese and stir while the cream cheese melts. Add the Worcestershire, Old Bay, dry mustard, and cayenne and stir to combine. Add the greens onions and the toasted almonds. Add more milk if the sauce is too thick.

 

Gently fold in the crab and mix to combine with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and turn the hot crab dip into ramekins or a serving dish. Sprinkle with paprika and serve hot.

[rotuts]

this thread , w my personal memories

 

and my palate memories

 

is just driving me to Drink

 

well , Im well stocked w substrate from TJ's  Table wine

 

for M.R.  

 

so there is that  

 

I guess.

 

 

 

[David Ross]

If we hadn't gotten a foot of snow yesterday, and roads that are now a mix of snow, ice and slush, I'd take a trip over to the store that has fresh Dungeness.  Alas, I'll wait until the roads are less dangerous.  But oh what an addiction to have, a Dungeness crab need.

[heidih]

@rotuts  Regarding the newspaper - our big fish market specializes in live Dungeness. The tables are concrete and there are piles of newspaper to be used.  They rent the wooden mallets for $1. I just stuff a nutcracker in my bag - less splintery bits. 

Edited January 11, 2020 by heidih (log)

[rotuts]

@David Ross

 

addiction is such a difficult word and concept

 

esp these days  with  ...............

 

consider this book :

 

https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Addiction-Sigmund-William-Halsted/dp/1400078792

 

exceptionally well written , and about two very interesting figures

 

at the turn off  1800's to 1900's

 

probqbly available at your local library

 

after you read this book , and if its in your Library , you should consider it

 

Crab like DC and other things 

 

are more an Exceptional delight , you plan for yourself and your family

 

Im not trying to be odd or what ever

 

but DC are a +++++

 

once you share

[rotuts]

Of course

 

speaking of Crab , in Maryland etc

 

there was an episode of " The Wire "

 

where the crew went to a Crab Place

 

unfortunately they did not invite me.

[Katie Meadow]

Forgive me for straying from the crab topic. This is from the pages of USA today:

 

Shirley Temple

• 3 oz. lemon lime soda
• 3 oz. gingerale
• 1 dash grenadine
• maraschino cherry for garnish
  
  An older recipe is said to have a splash of orange juice and orange or lemon slice for garnish.

Roy Rogers

• 6 oz of cola
• 1 dash grenadine
• maraschino cherry for garnish

Young ladies who prefer this version can order a "Shirley Temple Black." Bartenders sometimes put cherries in the bottom of the drink too. 

 

 

[Katie Meadow]

4 hours ago, rotuts said:

Of course

 

speaking of Crab , in Maryland etc

 

there was an episode of " The Wire "

 

where the crew went to a Crab Place

 

unfortunately they did not invite me.

Remember that before The Wire David Simon created the TV show Homicide, Life on the Streets, all about Baltimore. The police dept colleagues were regulars at a local bar/restaurant  and were always eating crab with their little wooden mallets. I grew up eating those blue-claw crabs. In the summers we used to catch them with a treat secured to a butterfly net. The water was clear and the depth wasn't more than the length of the pole on the net. We were young and totally unsupervised during the day, and I am amazed we didn't drown.

 

Unfortunately this thread is giving me crab on the brain, and I may have to splurge. Mmm, crab cakes.

[rotuts]

2Katie Meadow 

 

my mistakes sorry

 

iy was  Homicide, Life on the Streets

 

that i was thinking about

 

The Wire  had different crab episode

 

where  Bunk had some crab  ...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=513je2VQZ2c

 

and BTW Shirley Temple Black

 

lived around the corner from us

 

never asked here about her Personal Beverages 

 

I waas in the Second Grade back then 

 

[Katie Meadow]

@rotuts, I've seen every episode of The Wire and although I don't remember it, I can't imagine five seasons WITHOUT a crab in there somewhere, so you are probably right. Bunk I can picture tackling a blue crab. McNulty...mmm... not so much.

[gfweb]

We are at the northern edge of crab territory. It’s a quick drive to DE and MD.  When he was a youngun, our son loved doing battle with blue crabs.  For me it’s a lot of effort for a morsel of (tasty) meat, but with a few friends and a lot of beer I can still be persuaded, though I eat more fries than crab. Old Bay on fries is a good thing
Pro tip...keep fingers covered with crab boil out of your eyes

Edited January 12, 2020 by gfweb (log)

[Jacksoup]

Dungeness crab has always been a big part of my holidays. Even when I was very poor, crab was the dinner for trimming the Xmas tree.  I’ve done crab, garlic butter and bread dinner for all my life.  I’ve hosted for some folks in the last couple of years and they don’t have an understanding of the *ritual*.  There’s crab crackers that crack and amass a pile of crab and those that crack and eat it.  There’s an army on each side.

[Smithy]

Y'all are making me wish I had crab in my holiday traditions! It was never part of our family's holidays. I'll have to settle for what I can find in the upscale grocery stores, or else vicarious enjoyment through this topic.

[David Ross]

Another Holiday tradition is the Dungeness Crab au Gratin.  Crab blended into a bechamel sauce.  It's very decadent and you don't need to eat much, but we do!  I usually serve it with toasted baguette slices, but this year I threw caution to the wind.  I didn't care what family and friends would think, you know the baguette seems more stylish.  But for my taste, a good old saltine cracker is the best.  I'm sure any type of crab will do based on the crab of choice where you come from. I have two large bags in the freezer with all these delicious crab shells that I'll be using in the base for Dungeness Crab Bisque- 

 

For the Crab and Breadcrumbs-

2 1/2 cups fresh Dungeness crab meat Substitute any variety of crab

2 tbsp. chopped green onions

4-6 slices white bread, crusts cut off

2 tbsp. melted butter

 

For the Bechamel Sauce-makes 2 1/2 cups sauce

6 tbsp. butter

6 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 cup Shredded Italian cheese blend Substitute with Swiss or Gruyere cheese

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

dash of nutmeg

salt and black pepper to taste

For the Toasted Baguette Slices-

1 French baguette

4 tbsp. melted butter

 

Instructions

Make the toasted baguette slices-

Heat the oven to 375. Slice the baguette into 1/4" thick slices. Dip one side of each slice in the melted butter. Place the baguette slices on the cookie rack and bake until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.

 

Crack the crab and make the breadcrumbs-

Crack the crab and place the meat in a large bowl and add the green onions. Place the shells in a plastic bag and freeze to use later in soups, stocks and sauces.

Cut the crusts off the slices of white bread. Break the bread into pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse the bread until it's broken into crumbs. Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and drizzle in the melted butter, tossing to combine. Keep the breadcrumbs covered in the fridge for up to one week.

 

Make the bechamel sauce and bake the gratin-

Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and heat over medium heat. In another saucepan, melt the butter. When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir. The flour will bind into the butter and start to bubble. Slowly add the warmed milk and cream to the flour and mixture, stirring to combine. Continue to add the milk and cream, stirring, to make a smooth, creamy sauce. Stir in the Worcestershire, Old Bay, cheese, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and stir again to combine.

Heat the oven to 375. Slowly pour the bechamel into the bowl with the crab and green onionsand gently toss to combine. You'll use about 2 cups of the bechamel sauce to make a thick-style casserole. Spoon the crab mixture into the casserole, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Bake the gratin in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the gratin is bubbling and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

 

Serve the Dungeness Crab au Gratin hot from the casserole dish with the buttered baguette slices.

[David Ross]

Way, way back in 2001 I entered the MasterChef USA competition on PBS.  This Dungeness Crab salad was the opening dish in my final 3-course menu.  This photo doesn't do it justice because I didn't dice the cucumber smaller.  It looks like big chunks of zuchinni.  For the competition I served it with dried, sliced pear chips.  I think it's much better with homemade potato chips. 

 

At any rate, the base layer is diced cucumber and tomato, then a layer of Dungeness crab tossed in homemade mayonnaise.  I usually top it with a crab leg and another dollop of the mayonnaise.  I change the mayonnaise flavors, this time it was lemon and thyme. Sometimes I'll use fresh tarragon or fresh marjoram.  I love marjoram and wish it was used more in restaurant dishes these days.  When people taste homemade mayonnaise for the first time they wonder what it is since their palate has always been trained toward bottled commercial mayonnaise.  

 

 

Ingredients-

For the Crab Salad Mosaic-

1 1/2 cups Dungeness crab meat

1 cup seeded, diced tomato

1 cup seeded, diced cucumber

1 tbsp. grapeseed oil

 

For the Lemon-Thyme Mayonnaise-makes 1 cup mayonnaise

1 large egg

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 tsp. chopped lemon zest

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

salt and white pepper to taste

fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

 

Instructions-

Make the Lemon-Thyme Mayonnaise-

Place the eggs, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste in a blender. Process just until ingredients are combined, about 20 seconds. With blender running at low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil in a slow steady stream. Continue to add enough oil until the mayonnaise thickens. This will take about 2-4 minutes. 

Refrigerate the mayonnaise at least one hour before using to allow it to cool and the oil to set.

 

Make the Dungeness Crab Salad and Serve-

Place the diced cucumber and tomato in a bowl and spoon in the 1 tbsp. of the oil, and toss to coat. Spoon some of the diced cucumber and tomato in the bottom of a ring mold and gently press down. Place the crab in a bowl and add a spoon of the mayonnaise and toss gently to coat. Spoon a layer of the dressed crab on top of the cucumber and tomato layer.

 

Gently remove the mold. Add a crab leg on top of the salad and spoon over a dollop of the mayonnaise. Spoon some mayonnaise on the side of the plate, then garnish with fresh thyme and serve with chips.