Best 7 Chesapeake Bay Crabs Recipes

CHESAPEAKE BAY CRAB SCAMPI

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until garlic is lightly golden.
• Add red pepper,lemon juice and white wine (or chicken broth). Bring to a soft boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Gently stir in crabmeat and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve over pasta. Save about 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water to add to dish if there is not enough liquid to suit you or you could also add additional amount of wine or chicken broth.

CHESAPEAKE BAY CRABS

Steps:

• Place about 6 cups of water, the vinegar, and the beer in an 8-gallon stockpot fitted with a raised rack. If you don't have a raised rack, use bricks wrapped in clean cloth to raise your rack about 6 inches off the bottom. It is important that the crabs not get wet while they're being steamed.
• Make a layer of crabs on the rack, and cover them with 1/8 to 3/4 inch of crab seasoning. Bring the liquid to a boil. Once the steam starts to rise through the crabs, cover pot with lid, and steam for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crabs are bright red. Remove the crabs with tongs or rubber gloves. (Using rubber gloves makes handling easier, preventing you from burning your hands -- and inadvertently dropping any crabs.)

CHESAPEAKE BAY BLUE CRAB HOT POT

Steps:

• In a heavy-gauged pot on medium to high heat add the grapeseed oil. When a light haze rises from the pan, add all of the crab. The blue crabs contain water so you must cook them until this liquid has evaporated. Then add the butter. Allow the milk solids to fall and when the butter stops foaming add the vegetables and cook until translucent. Add the coriander seed and brown lightly. Add the tomato paste and chopped tomato and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up any bits sticking to the pan. Add the water and chicken stock. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the bay leaf and thyme cook an additional 10 minutes. Press the whole mixture into a strainer. The broth should have small pieces of the vegetables from the cooking of the crab. Check and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide evenly and garnish each with some of the crab, pickled ramps, sauteed shiitakes and creme fraiche.
• Combine the sugar, vinegar, and water and bring to a boil. Add the mustard, coriander, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Blanch and shock ramps, strain, and pour the warm pickling liquid over the ramps. Let cool and store for 3 days before using.

CHESAPEAKE BAY CLASSIC CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Put the egg yolk, seafood seasoning, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor or a blender and process until smooth. Gradually pour in the oil with the machine running until the mixture emulsifies and forms a mayonnaise. Season with the salt and pepper. (Note: this quantity of mayonnaise will not emulsify in the bowl of the largest size food processor. Use a medium size food processor, a mini processor, or a blender.)
• Transfer the mayonnaise to a bowl and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the scallions and the crabmeat until well combined. Combine the bread crumbs and the parsley in a shallow container. Form the crab mixture into 8 patties about 3-inches wide and 3/4-inch thick and drop them into the bread crumb-parsley mixture. Dredge the crab cakes on both sides. If you have time, leave the crab cakes in the container of bread crumbs, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour or more.
• When you are ready to fry the crab cakes, put 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons butter to each pan. When the butter is melted, add 4 crab cakes to each pan, patting off excess crumbs first. Slowly fry the crab cakes over medium heat until they are golden brown on both sides and hot through, turning once with a spatula, about 4 minutes per side. If the crab cakes are browning too quickly, reduce the heat. The internal temperature of a cooked crab cake should be 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Transfer the crab cakes to plates, 2 per person, and serve with your choice of sauce and lemon wedges.
• 8 ounces tomatillos, husked and cut into quarters
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons green hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh horseradish
• Put the tomatillos in the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely pureed. Remove the tomatillo puree to a sieve, drain off the liquid and discard. Put the drained puree in a bowl and stir in the vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, garlic, mustard seeds, and horseradish.

CRAB CAKES WITH CHESAPEAKE BAY MAYO

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Cover and chill until serving. For crab cakes, in a large bowl, combine the egg, cheese, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, onion, parsley, mustard, seafood seasoning and pepper. Fold in crab. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes., With floured hands, shape mixture by 2 tablespoonfuls into 1/2-in.-thick patties. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook crab cakes in oil in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with sauce.

STEAMED BLUE CRABS

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup seafood seasoning, salt, beer, and vinegar in a large stockpot over high heat. Bring to a strong simmer.
• Right before cooking, carefully place each crab upside down and stick a knife through the shell, just behind mouth.
• Fit a screen over the beer mixture and layer the crabs on the screen. Be sure that the crabs are above the simmering liquid. Cover.
• Steam crabs until they turn bright orange and all of the blue/green color is gone, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup seafood seasoning before serving.

CHESAPEAKE BAY CLASSIC CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Add the yolk, Old Bay, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar to the bowl of a food processor or blender; process until smooth.
• Gradually pour in the oil with the machine running until the mixture emulsifies and forms a mayonnaise.
• Season with the salt and pepper (this quantity of mayonnaise will not emulsify in the bowl of the largest food processor; use a medium food processor, a mini processor, or a blender).
• Transfer the mayonnaise to a bowl and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the scallions and the crabmeat until well combined.
• Combine the bread crumbs and the parsley in a shallow container.
• Form the crab mixture into 8 patties about 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick and drop them into the bread crumb mixture.
• Dredge the crab cakes on both sides; if you have time, leave the crab cakes in the container of bread crumbs, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for an hour or so.
• When you are ready to fry the crab cakes, put 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat.
• Add about 2 tablespoons butter to each pan; when the butter is melted, add 4 crab cakes to each pan, patting off excess crumbs first.
• Slowly fry the cakes until they are golden brown on both sides and hot through, turning once with a spatula, about 4 minutes per side.
• If the crab cakes are browning too quickly, reduce the heat.
• The internal temperature of a cooked crab cake should be 155° on an instant-read thermometer.
• Transfer the crab cakes to plates, 2 per person, and serve with your choice of sauce and lemon wedges.