Lava Crab Recipes

STUFFED CRAB

Steps:

• In a skillet over low heat melt the butter, add the onion, yellow pepper, fennel, and garlic.
• Season with salt and pepper. Cook slowly for about 6 minutes until all are tender, transfer mixture to a bowl, add bread crumbs, and allow to cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• When cooled add crab meat, mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, tarragon, parsley, scallions, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix the ingredients well and stuff the shells. Bake for 25 minutes until warmed through.
• Note: the crabs should be poached in a court boullion made with 2 quarts water, 1 chopped carrot, 1 chopped yellow onion, and 1 chopped celery stalk boiled with 1/2 teaspoon each black peppercorns and coriander seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil and after 10 minutes, add 1 lemon, thinly sliced. Let boil for 10 more minutes, salt the water, and poach the crabs.

LAVA CRAB

Steps:

• To make the crab mixture, set the crab aside in a strainer to drain liquid. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard,Tabasco®, chives, tomatoes, tarragon, salt and nutmeg together. Add the crab to the ingredients in the mixing bowl, and fold with hands. Add the panko bread crumbs and mix well. Scoop 2-ounce balls of mixture onto a sheet pan and set aside. Wrap the crab balls in kataifi phyllo dough until enclosed and completely covered. Place on a sheet pan; cover and set inside the refrigerator.
• To make the sauce, in a saucepan saute the shrimp, onion and garlic in the butter until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, cook for 8 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine, and reduce until the wine is evaporated. Add the lobster base, Old Bay® seasoning, tarragon, thyme, heavy cream, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree the mixture in a blender. Strain through a chinois, and reserve until ready to use.
• To serve, place each kataifi-wrapped crab on a spoon and slowly immerse into a preheated fryer set at high heat until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. Pour 2 ounces of the hot sauce in each martini glass. Place the fried lava crab in sauce and garnish with chopped chives.

HOW TO STEAM A CRAB

Steps:

• Get a black steamer. Put crabs in water. Add seasoning. Put more crabs on top. Let them steam for 40 minutes. When you put them in they are blue-green, but wait until their shells are orange-red and their bellies turn white. Then you can take them out, they're ready to eat.

SQUASH O'LANTERN WITH DUNGENESS CRAB

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Preheat a pizza oven or regular oven to 350 degrees F.
• Carefully cut the acorn squash in half, not just by simply slicing through, but by cutting it into a flower shape--as if you were decorating for Halloween. In other words, create jagged edges by making 45 degree slices that connect all around the circumference of the acorn squash. Scoop out the seeds from both sides of the squash.
• Add the cleaned, "flower" acorn squash halves to the boiling water and blanch to slightly soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and let cool to the touch.
• Meanwhile, gently mix together the crab, mayonnaise, egg yolk, Dijon mustard, fish sauce and chives in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the crab mixture between the 2 halves of the squash and place in a 9-by-13-inch or oval baking dish. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, until everything is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh dill before serving.