ISO: ISO: Immediate help. 30 people coming tonight... plans went awry.

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carianna-in-wa

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So my parents were going to get me 15-20 fresh dungeness crab for my party tonight. Cleaned and halved, I was planning on setting up a table with the crab over ice along with 3 to 4 different dipping sauces. People could socialize and nosh while they cracked open a half or two. There are other appetizers as well, I've made a spinach dip and several other guests are bringing an app. But the crab was to be a general highlight and station.

Then my parents went away for a couple of days and someone stole all of the crab out of their holding pot. 25 of them. So they quickly set the pots and got... 5. Which my mom, thinking of me, shelled. So now I have 5 WHOLE CRABS worth of shelled meat. I have NO idea what to do with it.

Tonight is our annual Drinks on the Deck party and it's traditionally finger food only. My house is a disaster still (I'm participating in a month-long fundraising hike-a-thon and have already hiked 57 miles since August first - 11 yesterday - and the house has fallen into disrepair.) HELP! I have a ton of catering shot glasses I could do something with, if I could figure out what. I worried that a crab cocktail shooter might be too difficult to "shoot?" I thought of crustless mini-quiches, but none of the recipes I saw looked particularly reliable. I most definitely do not have time for crab cakes. I have some cilantro, green onions and some coconut milk... anything there?

Help, help, help!!!! **pathetic look**

 
I'm digging thru my files...REC: California Dungeness Crab and Corn Chowder

From the kitchen of Blue Mermaid Chowder House & Bar
Servings:6-8
Cook Time: 30-60 min

This recipe from the Blue Mermaid Chowder House and Bar in San Francisco provides a take on a typical dish enjoyed in the city.
This dish -- California Dungeness Crab and Corn Chowder -- was recognized three times in the creative category of the Schweppes Great Chowder Cook-Off. The cilantro pesto garnish is prepared separately. Instructions are included after the main recipe.
To serve this dish, place the chowder in a bowl, add 1 to 2 ounces of crab meat and garnish with the pesto.

Ingredients
• 4 ounces Applewood-smoked bacon
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 cup corn
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 1 Pasilla chile, diced
• 1 Jalapeño pepper, split in half, seeds removed
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
• ½ tsp. chipotle powder
• 4 sprigs thyme, stem removed, leaves chopped
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 quart crab stock
• 2 lbs. Kennebec potatoes, ½" diced
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 2 oz. cream cheese
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 lb. fresh Dungeness crab meat
• 1 bunch cilantro, diced and chopped
• ½ cup olive oil

Cooking Directions

Chowder
Over low heat, add the smoked bacon to a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot. Slowly render the fat and then increase the heat to medium to make the bacon crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Leave about half the bacon fat in the pan.

Add the butter, and sauté the corn. After 4 to 6 minutes, remove the corn from the pan.

Add the onion and sauté for about 4 to 6 minutes until translucent. Be careful not to brown it.

Add diced chile and sauté an additional 4 minutes, and remove from the pan.

Add celery and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, then add the onion, corn, pasilla and bacon to the celery.

Add Old Bay, Chipotle powder, split Jalapeño pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Just barely cover the vegetables with crab stock and then add the diced Kennebec potatoes. Increase the heat to high and boil the potatoes for about 4 minutes. The goal is to soften the outside of the potato to help thicken the chowder, while keeping the potato al dente.

Add the heavy cream and cream cheese. Stir for two minutes and then remove from the heat. If you need to thicken the chowder a little more smash a few of the potatoes against the side of the pot.
Adjust the seasoning with salt and fresh white pepper. Remove the Jalapeño pepper before serving.

Cilantro Pesto
1 bunch cilantro, washed, dried and chopped
Approximately ½ cup of olive oil
Purée ingredients in a blender. Serve as a garnish on top of the chowder.

Recipe Summary
Main Ingredients: dungeness crab meat, crab stock, heavy cream, applewood-smoked bacon, potatoes, corn

 
Or a crab pasta alfredo? Again, using your theme of interactive, make the pasta alfredo and

have different garnishes / extras including extra crab, chopped red peppers, tomatoes, parm cheese, chives, etc...

 
REC: Baked Crab Au gratin

Forum Home Page: Gail's Recipe Swap
Previous Message: ISO, Please! Recipes for Prickly Pears/cactus
fruit/tunas(spanish?). . . (mistral)
Next: Recipe; Brownie Torte (Jodi)
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1999 02:43:31 GMT
From: Jodi (@32.101.228.123)

Recipe; Baked Crab Au gratin

A party favorite I serve at our parties.

Baked Crab Au gratin

1 pound of shelled crab meat
2 pounds of cream cheese
4 8 ounce containers of sour cream
1/4 cup of mayo or salad dressing
2 to 3 dashes of worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of colemans mustard
1 clove of minced garlic
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese, reserve some for topping.
juice of 1/2 lemon
Cream to adjust cosistency.

Cream the cream cheese and fold in the balance of ingredients.
Be very careful with the crab, place all of this in a buttered baking dish and heat at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until
bubbly. Serve with crackers or melba toast.

I usually put this in a chaffer dish and have the crackers or
bread arranged around it.

Happy Holidays

Responses

1. Jodi, where've you been???? This recipe looks great. Thanks for posting.
n/t (Laura/PA)

 
REC: Hot Crab Dip

My Hot Crab Dip is about the same, it saw us
through just about every baby shower and
birthday party there was in the ‘70’s...

8 oz cream cheese
7 oz crab meat
1/2 t horseradish
2 T chopped onion
dash of tabasco sauce or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste
milk as needed

Mix everything except milk together and put in buttered casserole dish. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Stir. If too thick, thin with milk. Serve in chafing dish with chip, veggies, and crackers.

Also, it make a great filling for a grilled crab sandwich.

 
Thanks guys... like the idea of some sort of soup to go in the shot glasses

I think I can put something together with that. Thinking about doing two kinds of "soup/sauce" and then tossing the crab with shortly before serving. One sort of Asian-y and one tomato-based. I love the spicy tomato soup thought!

 
Fresh Dungeness Crab Sauce for Pasta

Fresh Dungeness Crab Sauce for Pasta .

1-2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1 med. onion, chopped fine
5 cloves garlic, minced very fine
28 oz. ground tomatoes w/ puree ("6 in 1" brand preferred)
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups water
1 Tbl. dried basil leaves (crushed between your hands)
Dried red pepper flakes to taste
Salt to taste
1 fresh Dungeness crab, cleaned and cracked

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat oil. Add onions and sauté, stirring, until golden. Add garlic and cook 1 more min., being careful not to burn. Add tomatoes, wine, water, basil and pepper flakes. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Season with salt as needed. Add crab pieces and simmer, stirring until flavors develop (1-1 1/2 hrs.) Add additional water as needed and adjust seasonings. Serve over hot pasta.

Note: Additional seafood may be added and simmered in the sauce just before serving such as prawns, clams, mussels or firm fish (halibut, salmon etc.)
Simmer additional fish just until cooked through so not to over cook.

 
Here is a T&T reliable Crab Bisque

This would work well in your shot glasses- it is good hot or warm and you could use more crab in it- and use heavy cream if you like or change the herb. I sometimes add corn, sometimes avo.


JANE’S CRAB BISQUE
(serves 6)
Serve with pocket angles or a crusty loaf of French bread

3 T butter
3 T flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup crab meat chopped
1 small diced onion
1 tsp chervil
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup Half-and-Half
2 T minced parsley or chives
Melt butter and cook flour in it for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper, and then milk, gradually. Stir constantly. Stir in the broth. Cook and stir over low heat until thick and smooth. Add crab, onion, chervil and nutmeg. Cover and simmer ten minutes. Add Half-and-Half and simmer another 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

 
We just returned from a vacation - VA Beach. dh had she crab soup daily! : ) and tried many

different variations of crab soup / chowder. Lots of fun, pretending we were "experts" after a week of soup... It was quite funny as we changed / noted our observations / adjectives / methods of cooking as the week progressed and the wine poured. : )

Practically a sommelier of crab soup : )

I miss vacation!!

 
Will post REC soon. The crab "shooters" were the hit of the party

and I'm too mmmm... "happy" and tired to post them accurately now. smileys/smile.gif

 
YAY! I was thinking of you last night! So glad it all worked out! (I felt terrible for your M&D.

Can't believe someone stole their crabs!

 
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