6 Recipes for Our Native Blue Crab, Plus a Side Order of Local

laws C rab C ed at in ar M TO * Boiled Crabs The 1901 edition of The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book included instruc- tions for eating boiled crabs with a knife and 6 recipes for our native Blue fork, “without once using the fingers.” That must have been quite a feat, and Crab, plus a side order of local it certainly bears no re- semblance to the modern crustacean history crab boil, where everyone rolls up their sleeves and has at it. Judging from the old recipe, there was by Stanley Dry much less hot pepper Photographs by Eugenia Uhl involved in the boil than is customary today. There are dozens of brands of crab boil on the market, and they very greatly in the amount of red pepper they contain, so it’s advisable to start with the amount recom- mended on the package and add additional to taste. You’ll need a large pot with a remov- able basket and a heat source, usually a pro- pane burner. Into this pot will go water, salt, crab boil, halved lemons, garlic, and any other spices, such as cayenne pepper, you wish. Bring the pot to a boil and let it boil for about 10 minutes. Taste the water and add additional crab boil and other seasonings, as desired. If you’re cooking smoked sausage, corn, and/or small red potatoes, add them to the pot. When the water comes back to a boil, add the live crabs and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off he heat, dump in a bag of ice to stop the cooking, and let the crabs soak in the water for 10 minutes to absorb the seasonings. Lift out It is difficult to imagine an environment more perfect for the blue the basket, turn out the crab than Louisiana’s jagged coast, which nestles an abundance crabs on a newspaper of marshes and estuaries within some 7,721 miles of shoreline. covered table, and dig in, Blue crabs are found along the East Coast and across the Gulf no forks needed, though knives are useful for states from Florida to Texas. Louisiana landings account for 83 cracking the claws. percent of the Gulf total and 25 percent of the U.S. total. The blue crab’s economic impact on Louisiana comes to $293 million a year, more than twice that of the crawfish industry. The scientific name for the Marinated blue crab (Callinectes sapi- Crab Claws dus) means “tasty (or savory) beautiful swimmer,” and Serve these with good crusty bread to that is a most fitting descrip- dip in the marinade. tion considering how de- 1 cup dry white wine lectable it is and how many 2 tablespoons crab boil ways it can be prepared and (whole spices) served. From spicy boiled 1 tablespoon crushed crabs spread out on news- red pepper paper-covered tables and 1 teaspoon freshly ground accompanied by cold battles black pepper of beer to delicate lumps of 1 bay leaf snow-white crabmeat served 6 cloves garlic, peeled in elegant restaurants along ½ cup chopped celery with expensive bottles of with leaves Baked Champagne or chardonnay, ½ cup chopped red onion Tomatoes the blue crab’s appeal is ½ cup chopped red bell pepper filled with near universal. ½ cup chopped yellow That popularity comes at a bell pepper Crabmeat price, which is reflected in ¼ cup chopped parsley the soaring cost of crabs and ¼ cup chopped green crabmeat. Fresh jumbo lump onion tops Preheat oven to 350 crabmeat, which not that 1 tablespoon capers, drained degrees and butter a many years ago was around and rinsed baking dish. ½ cup white wine vinegar $12 or so a pound, often Cut off tops of 4 large goes for more than $30 a ¼ cup fresh squeezed tomatoes; scoop out pulp pound, when you can find it. lemon juice and seeds with a spoon. There are a number of fac- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil Salt interior of tomatoes tors that figure into the price Hot sauce to taste (optional) and invert on a rack to rise, but the demand from Cayenne pepper to taste drain. out-of-state is a big part (optional) Melt 4 tablespoons but- 1 pound cooked crab claws, of it. The truth is that a lot ter plus in a frying pan, cracked of crabs and crabmeat are add ¼ cup diced onion, shipped to the Chesapeake ¼ cup diced bell pepper, Bay area, where crabbing In a non-reactive pan, combine and ¼ cup diced celery, has declined precipitously. white wine, crab boil, crushed red and cook until softened, pepper, black pepper, bay leaf, and Some years ago we ate huge, about 5 minutes. garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, meaty steamed crabs, the Transfer vegetables to and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool. a mixing bowl and stir kind we rarely see here, in a Combine cooled wine mixture with in ½ cup breadcrumbs. small Baltimore restaurant. I remainder of ingredients (except crab When mixture is cool, stir complimented the owner on claws). Stir and adjust seasonings as in ½ cup heavy cream, the crabs and asked where desired. Place cracked crab claws in 4 teaspoons chopped they came from. “Lake a flat non-reactive container (an 8½ x parsley, and 4 teaspoons 13-inch pyrex dish is ideal) and pour Pontchartrain,” he replied. I chopped green onion marinade over. Cover, seal tightly with should have known. tops. Add 1 pound lump plastic wrap, refrigerate, and mari- crabmeat (picked over) nate for 6 hours or longer, stirring and toss gently. Season occasionally. Makes 4 servings as an with coarse salt, freshly appetizer. ground black pepper and Cayenne pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. Fill tomatoes with crabmeat mixture, mounding TIPS for crab clawS: the tops. Sprinkle with This crabmeat breadcrumbs, dot with stuffing can also butter, and bake until If you’ve saved the claws from your crab boil, you’re good to be baked in other tops are browned, about vegetables, in a crab * go, but rescuing them from hungry eaters is often difficult, to 30 minutes. shell, in individual say the least. If you need claws for this dish, you can buy them, ramekins or used as already cooked, from a fish market or supermarket. In either MAKES 4 SERVINGS. a stuffing for fish, case, you’ll need to crack the claws with a nutcracker of the such as flounder. back of a large knife. TIPS for crab cakeS This recipe can be partially prepared in advance. After * the crab mixture is formed into cakes, the cakes can be covered and refrigerated until later in the day when it is time to cook them. A number of variations in the recipe are possible, such as substituting unsalted cracker crumbs for bread crumbs, using clarified butter or a mixture of butter and oil for frying. * c r a b c a k e s wi th l em on may onnaise o gumb okra * crab and We tend to think of gumbo as more of a winter food, but it's also a great transitional springtime menu item., especially when it contains seafood. This dish is easy to prepare and I have always favored jumbo can serve as the Crab Cakes centerpiece of a lump crabmeat, but given the luncheon or as a cost, I find myself using more with Lemon first course in a backfin and claw crabmeat. Mayonnaise dinner menu. They’re not as pretty as lump, Too often, crab cakes suffer from an but they can be combined with overabundance of breadcrumbs. There lump crabmeat in crab cakes, should be just enough binding to hold gumbos, and the like. Claw crab- a crab cake together. The slight pres- meat is particularly flavorful and sure of a diner’s fork should cause it can actually improve the taste of to crumble. If you wish, you can use a mixture of lump and claw crabmeat in some dishes. this recipe. There is nothing quite as elegant and indulgent as chilled lump 1 pound lump crabmeat, crabmeat served with extra- picked over virgin olive oil, lemon, coarse 1 teaspoon cajun/creole salt, and freshly-ground black seasoning pepper. On second thought, 2 tablespoons lemon juice sautéed soft-shell crabs are also 1 tablespoon chopped parsley a contender, but that is a subject 1 tablespoon chopped green for another article. Meanwhile, onion tops enjoy these toothsome recipes 1 egg, lightly beaten for hardshell blue crabs. ½ cup breadcrumbs for fryIng ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup flour 1 egg, lightly beaten Crab & Okra ½ cup breadcrumbs Gumbo lemon mayonnaISe Artichoke Cooking okra in oil before adding 2 egg yolks liquid eliminates the “sliminess” that ¼ teaspoon salt Hearts, some people find unpleasant. 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed Green Peas lemon juice & Lump ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped Crabmeat 1 teaspoon finely-grated 2 stalks celery, chopped lemon zest 1 pound okra, sliced This dish features s Cayenne pepper to taste a blend of savory and 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes sweet flavors, and, 6 cups chicken broth served with the addition Place crabmeat in a mixing bowl. 2 tablespoons dry roux of toasted bread, pro- Add cajun/creole seasoning, lemon vides a good crunch. 2 bay leaves juice, parsley, green onion tops, egg, 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves and breadcrumbs. Mix gently with a Coarse salt and freshly fork, being careful not to break- Combine 1 (9 ounces.) ground black pepper to taste up crabmeat. Form mixture into 4 package frozen Cayenne to taste cakes.

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