Coastal Cookery

Preparation of Crabs

For the purpose of this section, assume Carolina coast blue crabs. These crabs can be caught fresh in all seasons, in coastal waters or in shallows on the beach.

To cook crabs, drop them alive into boiling salted water. Cook for about a half hour, and lift out of the water to cool.

To pick crabs; break off the backs, claws, and flippers. Remove entrails and discard. Hack the main part of the crab all the way out and break in half. Pick out all the white meat, being careful to remove all of the membrane. Crack the claws and pick out the meat. The body of the crab has white meat, and the claws dark meat. Both are delicious. The shell back can be kept and used to stuff later.

Crabs, Beach Style

Boil crabs in salted water until pink. Remove backs and claws, and set aside. Remove entrails and discard.

In a deep pan, put a half pound of butter and let it melt.  Drop in the main body of the crabs, cover, and steam for half an hour. Take out the crabs and place them on a large platter, surrounded by the previously set aside claws.  Put a large pan, bag, or bin on the table for collecting shells and membranes, and let everyone pick their own meat.

Recommended to be served with crackers, pickles, celery, and a cold bottle of beer.

Crab Cakes

• 1 lb crab meat
• 1/2 loaf of bread (stale is fine), toasted and crumbled.
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped small
• Salt and pepper to taste

Soak bread crumbs in milk until soft.  Add all other ingredients in no particular order, and mix well.

Drop by generous spoonfulls into a very hot, greased skillet or frying pan.  Brown on both sides and serve hot with sliced lemon.

Crab Souffle

• 1 pound crab meat
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1.5 sticks of butter.  Cut half stick into pieces and set it aside.  Melt the full stick of butter.
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups small bread crumbs or panko, set one cup aside.
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients not set aside, and place in a greased baking dish.  Top with the set aside bits of butter and bread crumbs.  Bake at 300 F for about half an hour, or until brown.  Serve immediately.

Crab Croquettes

Cream sauce:

• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1 cup of milk
• Garlic

Melt the garlic and butter together in a pan, but do not brown.  Stir in the cornstarch until no white is visible.  Pour in the milk, and stir until sauce is boiling and thickened.  Take off heat.  Then, mix together:

(actual croquettes)

• cream sauce
• 2 hard boiled eggs, diced or smashed
• half pound crab meat

Place this mixture in the refrigerator for at least two hours.  It is a perfectly edible seafood salad in this form, or can be rolled into balls, covered with egg and breadcrumbs, and deep fried.

Baked Crabs

• 1 pound white crab meat
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (approximately 2 slices of toast, crumbled)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped small
• 2 sticks of celery, chopped small
• half cup of butter
• 1 raw egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lots of nutmeg

Mix together all ingredients; consistency should be soft but not juicy.  Stuff into the crab-back shells and place in the oven at 350 F for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops are browned.

Savory Deviled Crabs

• 1 pound crab meat
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• half cup of Duke's mayo
• 1 can of canned cream, roughly a cup (or substitute with evaporated milk with 2-4 tablespoons of butter melted in)
• Half a large onion, diced.
• 1 green bell pepper, diced.
• 1 raw egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons Indian pickle relish
• 4 tablespoons bacon grease
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Corn flakes for garnish
• Butter, diced, for garnish

Mix all ingredients besides the garnish together, and stuff into the crab back shells.  Sprinkle with crushed corn flakes and butter.  Bake at 375 F until brown, and serve hot.

Deviled Crabs with Cream Sauce

Sauce:

• 2 eggs, beaten.
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup of cream or whole milk
• Salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika to taste.

Melt but do not brown the butter.   Mix in flour until smooth, then cream, eggs, and seasonings.  Stir often, boil until thick, and allow to cool.

Filling:

• 2 cups of crab meat
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 small onion, diced finely
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• Cream sauce from above
• Bread crumbs and butter for garnish

Mix all ingredients except garnish together.  Stuff into crab shells, top with butter and bread crumbs, and bake at 350 F until brown or deep fry until crispy.

Deviled Crabs

• Half cup of butter
• 1 tablespoon of dry mustard
• half a teaspoon of black pepper
• half a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• half cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 5 hard boiled eggs, diced
• 1 lb crab meat
• Bread crumbs for garnish

Combine all ingredients except garnish and stuff into crab shells.  Top with bread grumbs and bake at 375 for half an hour or until browned and cooked through.

Deviled Crabs

• 1 pound white crab meat
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 can of canned cream, roughly one cup, or substitute evaporated milk with 2-4 tablespoons of melted butter.
• Small onion, diced finely
• 1 pound butter
• Salt, pepper, garlic, and worcestershire sauce to taste
• Buttery crackers, crushed, for garnish

Boil potatoes until soft.  Mash them with butter, canned cream, and seasoning.  Fold in crab meat and onions.  Stuff into crab shells, garnish with crushed crackers, and bake at 375 F for about 20 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Crabmeat Spaghetti Ring

• 1 8-oz package of spaghetti
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup white mushrooms
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 green bell pepper, minced
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Prepare noodles according to package instructions.  Add all ingredients together in a greased ring pan or 9 inch cake pan.  Bake at 325 F for an hour, and re-plate on a platter.  Optionally, garnish with a cream sauce, and serve hot.

Crab Pie

• 1 pound crab meat
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• half teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup of cream
• Cracker crumbs for garnish

Mix all ingredients, aside from garnish, well, and put into a greased baking dish.  Top with crushed crackers, and bake at 325 F until brown on top and cooked through (when a toothpick through the middle comes out clean)

Crab and Cheese Delight

• 2 tablespoons minced bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Half teaspoon mustard
• Salt to taste
• 8-oz can stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup Kraft American cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup crab meat

Lightly saute the bell pepper in the butter.  Into the pan, still on the heat, very slowly add each ingredient in listed order, making sure each is well combined and melted in.

Serve on toast or in crab shells.

Crab Casserole

Cream sauce:

• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Melt but do not brown the butter.  Mix in the cornstarch.  Slowly add the milk, and bring back to a boil.  Cook until thickened, and set aside.

Actual casserole:

• Cream sauce from above
• 1 lb white crab meat
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 can diced pimento
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons horseradish
• half cup grated mild cheddar, for garnish
• Cracker crumbs, for garnish
• Diced butter for garnish
• salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika to taste

Boil half the cabbage for ten minutes in salted water, and drain.  Combine boiled and new cabbage and all ingredients besides garnish into a greased baking dish.  Top with cracker crumbs and butter.  Bake at 350 F for long enough to melt and brown the cheese.

Crab Soup

• 1 quart of milk
• 1 pint of cream
• 1 pound white crab meat
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• half cup celery, diced fine
• salt, pepper, and sherry to taste
• 2 lemons, for garnish
• 2 hard boiled eggs, for garnish

Melt butter in a pan.  Add flour and stir well until combined.  Add milk and cream, stirring constantly, heating back to a boil and keeping it there until thickened.  Add crab meat and celery, seasoning to taste.

Serve with two thin slices each of lemon and egg per bowl.

Crab Gumbo

• 1/4 pound bacon
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cans tomato juice
• Half pound fresh okra
• 5 onions, finely diced
• 1 can corn
• 1 can lima beans
• Meat from 2 dozen crabs
• Salt, pepper, paprika, worcestershire sauce, and mustard to taste

Fry bacon until crisp, and set aside.  Saute the onions and okra in the grease from the bacon until tender.  Drain and add to pan the corn, lima beans, and diced tomatoes, cook until hot, and add the tomato sauce.  Add crab meat last, and heat only enough to bring the crab up to temp.

Serve generously

Crabmeat Gelatin Salad

• 1 pound crab meat
• Half cup diced celery
• 1 package lemon jello
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Duke's mayonaisse and lettuce leaves for serving

Dissolve jello in package-recommended amount of hot water.  Add seasonings and combine well, then fold in crab and celery.  Pour into fancy jello mold and chill until set.  Present on lettuce leaves with Duke's mayo; serves about 8.

Crabmeat and Pineapple Salad

• 2 teaspoons gelatin powder
• 1/3 cup grapefruit juice
• 1 cup crabmeat
• Half cup grapefruit sections, diced
• Half cup crushed pineapple
• Half cup Duke's mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar (or exchange for white vinegar, soaked with tarragon or star anise overnight)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Lettuce for serving
• Thousand Island dressing for garnish

Dissolve gelatin into grapefruit juice over a low heat.  Take off heat and add one at a time and combine, in order; vinegar, salt, mayo, crab, fruit.  Pour into a greased decorative mold and chill until set.  Serve on lettuce, with Thousand Island dressing.