Homemade Mock Crab

[peskin]

I really would like to have mock crab... but they don't sell it in my country as far as I can tell.
Anyone have any idea how I might make my own imitation crab meat, what fish to use, what other ingredients to include, how to do it? Thanks- google isnt' being so helpful...

[seamunky]

"Flavoring is added to surimi to make it taste like crab meat. These flavorants can be natural or artificial, but typically a mixture of both is used. Natural flavoring compounds include amino acids, proteins, and organic acids, which are obtained through aqueous extraction of edible crabs. Artificial flavors can be made to closely match crab meat flavor and are typically superior to naturally derived flavorants. Artificial flavoring compounds include esters, ketones, amino acids, and other organic compounds. Additionally, seasonings and secondary flavorants are added to the meat to improve the overall flavor. Common ingredients include nucleotides, monosodium glutamate, vegetable proteins, and mirin."

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/imitatio...

The article goes on to describe the process on how it is manufactured. The flavorings they describe are pretty typical for commercially manufactured foods except for the "aqueous extraction of edible crabs". If crab isn't kosher, you could try fish sauce or anchovy paste.

[ferret]

Not an item that lends itself to replication at home.

[peskin]

Dang.

[ROCKLES]

http://ask.yahoo.com/20030110.html

I found this, may not be helpful, I just typed in mock Krab ingredients

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...

and this on Surimi

[peskin]

Neither of those actually mention the flavorings added... :-/

[Transplant_DK]

I think I read somewhere that something like crab boil was used for flavoring, but I'm assuming that would be hard to find if you can't find mock crab/krab. What country do you live in?

I'd love to figure out how to make it without all the fillers, or maybe just with egg whites or something similar but so far haven't seen any recipes that don't include cornstarch, sugar, etc.

[peskin]

Israel.
And no, can't put crab anything in mine, because crab isn't kosher...
I don't mind the fillers, I just want to know what flavorings to use.

[ferret]

I can't recall if any of the sushi places I visited there served it but you may want to start your search there. If anyone would know where to find it locally it would be a sushi restaurant.

[peskin]

I have seen it served in sushi restaurants, but I'm gluten free and try to limit my eating chemicals in my food, so even if I could buy it here, I still want to know if there's a way to make my own.

[ferret]

The weak link here is the surimi. It's a factory made product that removes the oils and moisture from the fish. I would guess that it's theoretically possible to try it at home but that it's also likely to be a major undertaking. Any of the kosher products that I've seen also contain flour, so that's a problem as well.

[Grendal]

There is a kosher form of crab. You take fish, catfish is a good example, an you boil it with crab seasoning.

1/4 cup pickling spices
1/4 cup sea salt
2 Tablespoons mustard seeds
2 Tablespoons whole black peppercorns
2 Tablespoons hot red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon celery seeds
1 Tablespoon minced dried chives
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons dried oregano
5 bay leaves

Add it to water. Then take an boil the fish until it falls apart....it should taste like crab, look like crab but it's fish.

[peskin]

Awesome! I'll be trying this one out. Catfish isn't kosher- is there another fish that tastes similar that I can use?

[Gio]

Here's a discussion of Kosher fish right here at CH...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/272795

Bottom line is if a fish has fins and scales it is Kosher. So I think you could substitute any white fish that fits the description.

[peskin]

Oh, I know what fish are kosher. I've eaten kosher my whole life. Never tasted catfish, so I wasn't sure how to replicate the flavor. You're saying any white fish basically though, so thanks.

[ferret]

You did see my post where I point out that this does not end in a simulated crab product, right? It merely treats the fish as if it were already crab. It's just the spice blend that is typically used when you have actual real crab, so this is not the answer to your "imitation crab meat" request.

[peskin]

:-./

[ferret]

I'm more than skeptical:

Those are crab boil spices - ingredients used when you already have crabs. I'm not sure how they'll impart crab flavor to plain fish. What you'll end up with is fish in crab boil spices. This is analogous to cooking chicken with a pastrami spice mix - it'll have some of the flavor profile but will never be mistaken for beef.

[Grendal]

Well the cat fish when over boiled in the spices looses it's flavor yet keeps it's sweetness and takes on the crab spice flavor. While not as good as real crab, or the more expensive imitation crab. It's still quite good when mixed into a mock crab salad and thrown onto a sandwich with avacado. Any firm white fish will do.