Uses for cooked crab

[juster]

We keep getting steal after steal ($2-$3/lb) on cooked crab legs at the grocery store. Sometimes king, sometimes snow. It's hard to pass up, so I'm looking for some new ideas. We've had it plain with butter and mayo, crab salad sandwiches and avocados, crab quiche, crab cakes, crab omelettes, crab-stuffed mushrooms, crab louis, crab rangoons . . . Do you have any great recipes or ideas for crab? Any style of cuisine welcome. TIA

[c oliver]

Here's a recipe for a crab corn chowder that I've made a few times and loved. Giving the CH link cause I made a change or two.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8813...

[seamunky]

A delicious Vietnamese dish: Glass Noodles with Crab....yum!

Here's Charles Phan's recipe:

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr...

Note, that's not a very good picture of the dish.

[letsindulge]

Crab Enchilada Suizas (verde cream sauce)?

[jbsiegel]

A couple ideas:

Crab Imperial (google for a recipe. My mom always made it and served it in big seashells, but you can easily make it in a casserole dish.)

Crab Lover's Brunch Casserole: http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/crab...

(We buy the Phillips Jumbo Lump at Costco...love it plain!)

[Querencia]

I'm filing your post along with "Oh dear whatever shall we do our mango tree is loaded with 900 ripe juicy mangos". Our hearts are broken for you in your tragedy..........

[hill food]

makes you cry just the same.

[juster]

I know, right? But it seems that they've permanently raised the price to $6 a pound, so we're not getting it as often. Such a bummer.

[stlacy]

I love devilled eggs with crab. Mash the yolks with a little grated onion, bit of mayo and some Dijon. Dill. Fold in crab and pile the filling into the whites; top with chopped chives.

[Bacardi1]

Here's a link to a recipe from Saveur magazine that I saved for my own use for a "red" King crab sauce. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks interesting. One note - looks like Saveur neglected to remove the original "1 lb. lump crabmeat" that the King crab legs were supposed to take the place of.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes...

[ARenko]

Crab fried rice. The one from Dancing Shrimp is good if you can find it online.

[calmossimo]

I second the crab fried rice. I don't know about Dancing Shrimp but I've had some amazing crab fried rice at a local Thai restaurant. I would have never thought to use crab in fried rice but it's so good!

[Veggo]

Steak Oscar, or my poor man's version with pork tenderloin I call pork Felix.

[Beach Chick]

Pork Felix...you frigging slay me.

916

[Terrie H.]

I make a recipe from an old Rick Stein cookbook that dresses spaghetti with a sauce of olive oil, a little garlic, big pinch of chili flakes, a little diced tomato, lemon juice and parsley with snow crab meat. The sauce ingredients are just warmed together - do not let boil. It's quick and delicious.

[juster]

I just made this for lunch, with the addition of some parm (no cheese with seafood, I know). It was simple and tasty. Thanks!

[Terrie H.]

I'm glad you liked it! After I posted I remembered that I have sometimes added capers. Do have to say that I wouldn't add cheese, but I know most people love cheese on their pasta. Just wish I had your $3-a-pound crab!

[Bacardi1]

I do something nearly identical to that when I have leftover Blue Claw Crabmeat on hand. Only real difference is that I sometimes toss in a handful or so of baby arugula.

[Terrie H.]

I miss the days when I could say I had leftover blue crabmeat! I've lived in Maryland all my life, but no longer can afford our crabs, as I'm on a tight budget these days.

I use this prep as starter when snow crab legs are on sale - the meat from one large cluster can stretch to 4 appetizer servings and still feel special.

Arugula would make a great addition.

[MAH]

I just made a Thai inspired risotto with red curry paste and finished with baby spinach and leftover crab claw meat. Not at all conventional, but tasty.

[vttp926]

Bun rieu cua which is vietnamese vermicelli meat and crab soup

[docfood]

crab cakes, crab cakes, crab cakes, oh my, I love these.
Crab with cocktail sauce made from ketchup, horseradish, lemon, and tabasco.
Crab in paella
Crab salad

You are so lucky to find crab, my jealousy is intense as i live here in the upper midwest.

[hill food]

docfood - if you have an asian/seafood grocery, check it out. at one in the lower Midwest (STL) I found 'fresh, recently live' Dungeness for $3.99/# I used it fast and it was fine.

[LaLa]

Deviled crab
Crab dip...either hot or cold
Crab bisque

[juster]

Mmm, dip sounds good. I'll look up some recipes. If I get a deal near Super Bowl (not unlikely, as not many people seem to catch this deal) I could do that then (we're not football watchers, but do Super Bowl Sunday just as an excuse to eat snacks . . .)

I think I need to look up "devilled". I've only ever had devilled eggs, but have heard of other devilled things, just not sure what it means. Is it like spicy hot with mayo?

[LaLa]

Deviled is a spicy breaded mixture in thr South...so good!
http://southern.food.com/recipe/devil...

[Dcfoodblog]

Crab is great addition to soups. Things like gumbo and even Tom Yum. In fact i like crab better in Tom Yum because it doesn't get tough.

[juster]

Ah! That's one I forgot -- last month I made tom yum for the first time ever (just with a jar of paste you mix into water) and added crab. It was good! I'll do that again, and maybe try some other soups. Nice wintry idea, great. These ideas will really help me mix it up. Everything sounds so good (and doable).

[hill food]

Tom Yum - excellent winter food or cross it with a congee.

[juster]

Hrm... Could you elaborate on how I might go about that? Like, cook the rice in the broth, add crab, or . . . ? I've never made or eaten congee, though I know what is is, essentially.

[hill food]

pretty much that's it (how I do it anyway) is it "right"? I don't know or care. I'm constantly tasting and adjusting. adding some new whack-job ingredient and tasting some more. sort of a stone soup approach. so the rice gets soft and mushy - it's just gruel. it's essentially what Dickens had them feed Oliver Twist and Charlotte Bronte gave Jane Eyre. cheap (depending on the ingredients), easy and suited for large quantities.

[seamunky]

Another good soup is White Asparagus and Crab soup. It's often served at Vietnamese banquets or holiday gatherings.

http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2009...

[alliebear]

Yum. How about enchiladas?

[Jeanne]

There used to be a restaurant in Nags Head, NC on the Outer Banks that served seafood enchiladas. I would always order one shrimp and one crab. They were covered with a type of white sauce. They were SO good.

It was a restaurant that had been there for years in a very old ocean front building. One of our hurricanes damaged the building and the restaurant closed and the building demolished. I miss that place!

[Philly Ray]

You can simmer them in tomato sauce and they impart a wonderful flavor. Then, just serve over pasta and crack the legs.

[ChiliDude]

Risotto...

[JungMann]

I always really loved stuffed crab, which range in styles from lightly bound crab cakes stuffed into shells to elaborate pork and crab meatballs:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cheryl-smith/stuffed-crab-recipe/index.html
http://rasamalaysia.com/stuffed-crab-poo-cha/
http://blog.junbelen.com/2012/04/18/r...

[Bacardi1]

Two other ideas?

Sub crab leg meat in for lump crabmeat in "Crab Imperial". Any recipe for it that appeals for you (there are dozens).

And I'm sure crab leg meat would make a delicious addition to mac & cheese. Just look at a few "Lobster Mac & Cheese" recipes, which are very popular at the moment.

[hill food]

I hate you.(smirk)

but seriously I did crack a Dungeness for a solo xmas and with the leftovers stir-fried scallions ginger and somen noodles in a little porkfat and sesame oil.

[Bacardi1]

Here's a quick one we enjoy. Since I'm not as lucky as you are re: crab leg sales, I usually make it with surimi (& it turns out quite good), but the real thing works as well.

Bacardi1 “Jade and Coral” (Broccoli and Krab/Crab)
(adapted from WOKCRAFT, by Charles & Violet Schafer)

1 large bunch of broccoli (at least 3 medium crowns)
12-16 ounces “Surimi” – aka imitation crabmeat – chunk style, flake style, or leg/stick style cut into bite-size pieces – OR – King Crab or Snow Crab leg meat cut into bite-size pieces
Approx. 2” piece of fresh ginger, peeled & grated or minced
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup dry sherry
¼ cup soy sauce
Peanut or vegetable oil for stirfrying
Cooked rice of choice (white, brown, Jasmine, Basmati) for serving

Cut broccoli into fairly equal-sized florets. (If stalks are fresh/young/tender you can peel them down to the tender white center, dice them up, & use them as well.) Bring a pot of water large enough to hold broccoli to a boil. Blanch broccoli for 3 minutes & drain in a colander.

Combine ginger, garlic, sugar, sherry, & soy sauce in a small bowl & set aside.

Preheat wok & add a few dollops (about ¼ cup) of oil & swirl slightly (& carefully!) to lightly coat sides. Add drained broccoli & stirfry for a couple of minutes. Add “krab” (or crab) pieces & continue stir frying for another minute. Add in sauce mixture & stir fry for another couple of minutes or until everything is heated through. Serve immediately over rice.

[juster]

Great ideas, everybody. Thanks! I have to say, the broccoli-crab combo sounds odd to me, but I'll try it based on your recommendation.

[Bacardi1]

It's actually quite good. And the original recipe it is based on was one the original authors enjoyed in China several decades ago.

I didn't change much - mostly amounts & the cooking. I like slightly pre-blanching broccoli before stir frying, otherwise it can end up undercooked or too browned depending on the heat of your wok.

But everything boils down to personal preference. I won't be insulted if you don't like it, but it's definitely worth a try. My husband didn't think he'd like it either, & now it's one of his favorites.