Cooking up Carolina crab

South Carolina is all about seafood, and our local blue crab is a very important part of that mix! The peak season for the blue crab is October to January, but you can enjoy a good ol’ crab boil any time of the year using crab legs that are more readily available.

OLD-FASHIONED CRAB BOIL

SERVES 6

1 packet crab boil seasoning

1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (your favorite)

1 lemon, quartered

6 whole garlic cloves, peeled

2 pounds small red potatoes, cut in half

6 ears corn, cut in half

1 pound smoked sausage, cut diagonally into ½-inch slices

1 to 2 pounds whole crabs or crab legs (depending on season)

In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, half-filled with water, combine the seasonings, lemon and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; add the potatoes and corn and cook for 10 minutes. Add the sausage and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add crabs or legs and cook until the seafood turns pink, about 3–5 minutes. Drain and serve on tabletop lined with paper or on an oversized serving platter.

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Deviled crab on the half shell

SERVES 6–8 (depending on size of shells or ramekins)

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

½ cup chopped green onions

½ cup chopped yellow onions

½ cup bell pepper, red, yellow or orange

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

½ cup chopped celery (2 stalks)

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ cup white wine

1 cup milk

1 pound crabmeat

Kosher salt

½ teaspoon all-purpose seasoning

2 tablespoons fresh, rough-chopped parsley

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

⅓ cup plain breadcrumbs

Herb mustard, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter; saute onions and bell pepper for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf; saute until soft. Add remaining butter (4 tablespoons) and celery; saute 2 more minutes. Stir in breadcrumbs and wine and cook until wine evaporates. Add milk, stir and cook approximately 3 minutes. Add crabmeat, salt and seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Remove bay leaf, add parsley, and using a large scoop, divide mixture among shells or ramekins, sprayed with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine butter and breadcrumb. Evenly distribute over crab-filled shells. Bake in preheated oven until heated through and breadcrumbs are brown, about 5–7 minutes. Serve warm with herb mustard.

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She-crab soup

SERVES 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 8-ounce bottle clam juice

1 cup milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 medium white onion, grated

1½ pounds crab meat, divided

Kosher salt, to taste

White pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ cup sherry

Parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

In a stock pot over medium heat, melt butter. Sprinkle in flour and stir with a whisk until combined. Do not let brown. Add the clam juice, milk and cream and continue whisking until smooth. Let cook until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion, 1 pound of crab meat, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, cayenne, allspice and sherry. Stir to combine and lower heat to simmer; cook for 15 minutes until thick. To serve, ladle into bowls, top with remaining crab meat and parsley.

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Carolina crab cakes

SERVES 6–8

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

½ cup scallions, chopped

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

1 large garlic clove, minced

1½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs, divided

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1 pound crabmeat

⅓ cup heavy cream, optional

1 egg, slightly beaten

1½ teaspoons seafood spice blend

2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Herb mustard, for serving

In a medium saute pan over medium heat, melt butter. Saute onion and bell pepper until soft, about 2–3 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Set aside to cool to room temperature. In a medium shallow dish, place 1 cup of breadcrumbs.

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine ½ cup breadcrumbs, parsley, crabmeat, cream, egg and spice blend. Form into equal-sized patties. Dredge patties in breadcrumbs and place on a large platter. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat vegetable oil. Cook patties 4–5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove to a paper-lined platter and keep warm. Serve with lemon wedges and herb mustard.

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Tips and techniques

Close inspection. Before using crabmeat, thoroughly inspect it for small shell pieces that might be present and need to be removed before cooking and serving.

Precooked is OK. Crabmeat purchased in supermarkets will be precooked. There will also be containers of crabmeat available that are pasteurized—processed with heat to kill bacteria and extend the shelf life.

Fresh vs. frozen. Frozen crabmeat can be used in place of fresh. Like all fish or seafood, frozen crabmeat will have a tastier flavor because the meat is processed and flash frozen on the fishing vessel within minutes of catching. To thaw frozen crabmeat, place it in a leakproof plastic bag and refrigerate overnight. A faster method would be to submerge the plastic bag in cold tap water in a large bowl or pot. Change the water every 30 minutes.

How to cook fresh-caught crabs

Boiling

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Add enough salt so it tastes salty like the ocean.
• Quickly add crabs, so they all cook for the same amount of time.
• Cook crabs for 10–15 minutes, depending on size. The shells will turn orange/red in color.
• Remove from pot and let sit until cool enough to handle.

Steaming

• Bring an inch of salted water to boil in a large pot.
• Put crabs in a steamer basket and lower into water, or pile crabs into the pot, letting the bottom crabs act as a platform for the top crabs to steam.
• Cover and cook 10–20 minutes.
• Remove from pot and let sit until cool enough to handle.

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What’s cooking at SCLiving.coop

Cakes on ice—In her latest how-to video, Chef Belinda demonstrates how to make and freeze crab cakes for future use.