ISO suggestions for things to do with crabs

[Dianne_VA]

"chappie, you are right about the old bay...there is WAY too much of it on the crabs that my parents usually get (and they always say "light" seasoning). Most of the time before I eat a crab I run it under the faucet to wash all the seasoning off. Also, nothing is worse than cutting your finger on the crab's claw and then getting old bay smeared into the open wound, or just eating crabs with paper cuts."

A woman after my own heart. Crab meat by itself with sorry Chappie a Bass ale vs. the 10 oz Bud. The mustard I do enjoy when I run across but of late have been heistant to eat as well however I have to qualify I still eat my soft shells whenever I can get good ones and I wouldn't care if it was nuclear waste in them as long as the taste is not impacted.

Agree on crab cakes excellent when they're excellent bu truthfully so hard to find excellent ones. Give me a pot of steamed very lightly with old bay and the Bass and good frinds and I'm a VERY happy woman.

[C. sapidus]

This thread inspired me to make crab cakes for the first time. We used a pound of jumbo lump crabmeat, broiled half of the crab cakes (left side of the plate) and sautéed the other half in olive oil (front right). The family preferred broiled, but the fried crab cakes were easier to flip. More information here (post #16954).

[pickledgarlic]

In one of those "god, that's a good deal" I picked up a bunch of cans of lump canned crab meat.

I've only really used this stuff in thai soups, where it works wonderfully. Two pounds, however, makes for a lot of soup!

Can anyone help me out with any suggestions for how to use this stuff up? I know plenty of recipes calling for whole/fresh crabs... but there has to be some tasty stuff to make up with this stuff.

-pg

[Chris Hennes]

My first thought was crabcakes... is that too obvious? I can blow through two pounds making crabcakes no problem.

[HungryC]

What sort of canned crab meat? The shelf-stable kind, or the pasteurized, refrigerated kind? The refrigerated stuff is far superior, and it can be used anywhere you might use fresh crabmeat. My fave crabmeat dishes are crab au gratin, crab louis, crab & corn soup, crab stew made w/onions, green pepper, and a medium roux. It is also divine topped with hollandaise and stuffed into hardboiled eggs!

If you have the shelf-stable canned kind, you can always make a hot crab dip...very thick white sauce flavored w/garlic, onions, white pepper, fresh thyme, and a tiny bit of gruyere cheese, kept warm in a chafing dish. Serve with toast points or dry crackers.

[pickledgarlic]

What sort of canned crab meat?  The shelf-stable kind, or the pasteurized, refrigerated kind?

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Shelf stable kind, unfortunately.

[Chris Hennes]

What sort of canned crab meat?  The shelf-stable kind, or the pasteurized, refrigerated kind?

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Shelf stable kind, unfortunately.

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Scratch the crabcake suggestion, then. I foolishly jumped in without stating my assumptions...

[KennethT]

well, if it's a bunch of small sized cans totaling 2lbs (not one big 2lb can), you can just use them for what you normally use them for, and just save a bunch of money in the long run... the shelf stable canned ones should last forever without deteriorating in quality....

[Lindacakes]

In Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook, there is a fabulous recipe for lemon crab tea sandwiches, something like that. Essentially, crab with a dab of mayo, lemon juice, lemon zest, scallions. A bit of watercress, some gentle bread.

Love that stuff, make it all the time with a can of crab meat from Costco.

[Anna N]

In Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook, there is a fabulous recipe for lemon crab tea sandwiches, something like that.  Essentially, crab with a dab of mayo, lemon juice, lemon zest, scallions.  A bit of watercress, some gentle bread.

Love that stuff, make it all the time with a can of crab meat from Costco.

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Is the canned crabmeat from Costco that much better than the supermarket stuff? I ask because hubby really turned off the stuff you can buy in the supermarket. (I am allergic to crab so I have to rely on his opinion!)

[Lindacakes]

I don't know -- I don't think I've ever bought it in the supermarket. I'm talking about stuff in a red and black can. I find it very tasty and fresh. Give it a try.

[Chris Hennes]

I don't know -- I don't think I've ever bought it in the supermarket.  I'm talking about stuff in a red and black can.  I find it very tasty and fresh.  Give it a try.

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Are you talking about the Phillips? Here? If so, I don't think that's what we're talking about here, since it's refrigerated and not shelf-stable. It is my crabmeat of choice, however, for crabcakes (mostly since it's the only kind I have access to!).

[HungryC]

The canned stuff isn't too terrible, provided that it is a good-quality brand. It tends to be flaked into pretty small shreds because of the canning process, so it is suitable for things like crab stuffing (great inside of rolled fish filets & baked) or crab patties (like a breadier crabcake, with more assertive seasoning to make up for the breading). Try it mixed with a melting cheese (gruyere, fontina, emmental) and spread onto sliced bread for broiled open-face sandwiches.

Or kick it old-school and make a 50s style crab mousse (the gelatin kind).