There are so many times when I eat at a restaurant and wish that I knew how to cook or prepare some of the items on the menu. So after some searching and trial and error, I have found a recipe for an awesome crab dip and tweaked it so that is just like the one at Joe’s Crab Shack! Serve this crab dip with some whole grain crackers at your next summer party or superbowl party and you are sure to have some happy guests.

Just like Joe’s Crab Shack Crabby Dip

Ingredients

6-8 ounces of fresh blue crab meat

2 oz of softened Cream Cheese

1/2 Cup Sour Cream (substitute with low fat for a lower calorie dip)
4 teaspoons of Diced Sweet Onion
1 Tablespoons of Butter, softened
4 teaspoons Finely Diced Green Pepper
1/4 tsp. Seasoned Salt
Pinch of Paprika
1 Tablespoon of Mayo
1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Diced Green Onion to garnish
Fresh Chopped Parsley to garnish

Directions -

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a shallow baking dish.

In a medium bowl, blend together the mayonnaise, softened butter, sour cream, and softened cream cheese until the mixture is smooth. Next, combine the mozzarella cheese, onions, and green peppers. Finally, blend in the crab meat carefully (I always blend crab meat last so that the pieces are not minced down). Take the mixture and spoon it into the baking dish. Place the dip in the oven for about 12-14 minutes. The crab dip mixture will bubble when it is done. 

Serve the dip in a pretty serving bowl surrounded by whole grain fancy crackers. For a larger party, you can double or triple the recipe.

Enjoy!

She-Crab Soup is a favorite of many crab lovers. Here is a traditional recipe with a kick of cayenne and white pepper to give some extra spice.

Ingredients - (more…)

You’ll often hear of Gumbo being served at celebrations at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. What is Gumbo? Gumbo is a traditional dish full of flavor and different consistencies. It’s made with a broth along with several ingredients to create a stew that is often spicy. The Gumbo dish below is made with King Crab and Jumbo Shrimp, making it the perfect seafood lover’s feast.

King Crab and Shrimp Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients -

1.5 lbs King Crab Meat
1 lb of raw Jumbo Shrimp, shelled
2 teaspoons Creole Spice
2 minced Garlic Cloves
2 tablespoons of Chives
1 Celery stalk, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1 Green Pepper, chopped
1 3/4 cups of chicken broth
8 ounces of clam broth
2 cups of canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of file powder (What is file powder? File powder is sprinkled over types of Gumbo as a seasoning or thickening agent. It is a spice made from ground and dried sassafras leaves)
6 servings of cooked rice

Seasoning Spice Mix

1 tsp dried thyme
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon oregano

Instructions -

Stir together spices for the Seasoning Spice Mix. Set the seasonings aside.

In a large saucepan, combine 4 tablespoons of the chicken broth, garlic, celery, onion, and green pepper. Cover the saucepan with a lid and bring the ingredients to a boil. Once boiling, lower to medium heat and simmer about 7 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Next, stir in the remaining chicken broth, clam broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, and chives. Then stir in your Seasoning Spice Mix. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking, covered, for about 20 minutes. Be sure to stir the Gumbo from time to time to prevent ingredients from sticking and to continue blending the seasonings. After 20 minutes, add the king crab and shrimp and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes. The shrimp should turn pink and opaque.

Remove from the heat and blend in the file powder, letting the gumbo stand for about 3 minutes while still covered.

Gumbo can be served over white rice for a spectacular hearty and filling meal.

Not everyone lives on the coast, so not everyone is fortunate enough to have fresh crab available right down the street. Because of this, many people who are seafood lovers opt for ordering crab legs online. Through companies like Legal Sea Foods, you can have Alaskan King Crab Legs delivered overnight right to your door. The seafood is guaranteed to be fresh, which is of utmost importance when it comes to seafood, especially crab.

What I like about this company is that you can shop online, which eliminates the hassles of spending gas money, spending the time to travel out, and searching through various grocery stores to find the seafood to your taste. Convenience equals time and time is money! Save yourself the hassle and try ordering online.

This is also a great way to order a special gift for birthdays, anniversaries, or other special events. Legal Sea Foods also has options of ordering gift cards online so if you aren’t sure what entree someone would like, you can always give the gift card and they can order the seafood of their choice.

Here are some of the products offered by Legal Sea Food. Click on the pictures or on the description to open a new window and browse through some of their items online.

“CRAB CAKES AND CHOWDER FOR 2″

“FILET AND CRAB CAKE FOR 2″

“CLAMBAKE SUPREME FOR 4 (1/2′S)”

“FILET AND KING CRAB LEGS FOR 4″

“COOKED SHRIMP COCKTAIL- LB.”

“OYSTERS- DOZEN”

“KING CRAB LEGS - 2.50 LBS”

Maryland Crabs, otherwise known as Blue Crab are some of the best quality crab available. This recipe for Seafood Newburg uses Maryland Blue Crab as its main ingredient. You can also substitute Bay Shrimp, Sea Scallops or Bay Scallops for the crab or add all 3 together, depending on the type of Seafood Newburg that you want to make. This recipe is made with Maryland Crabs.

Seafood Newburg with Maryland Crabs

Ingredients

4 ounces of Newburg Sauce (recipe below)
8 ounces cooked Maryland Blue Crab
8 ounces cod, diced to 1 inch
8 ounces small cooked salad shrimp
2 ounces of clarified butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 ounce of Sherry
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Pinch of Paprika

Add and onions to a frying pan. Saute the onions until brown. Add the seafood and cook for about 4 minutes. Use the Sherry to deglaze and then add the Newburg sauce and cook for about a minute. That’s about it- pour the Seafood Newburg into serving dishes and use the paprika and parsley as a sprinkled topping to the Newburg for an added touch and hint of extra taste. You can serve the Seafood Newburg over rice or by itself.

How to cook Seafood Newburg Sauce -

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons minced onion
5 Tablespoons of butter
2 ounces of flour
1/4 cup of dry Sherry
3 cups of hot milk
1 cup of heavy cream
Pinch of white pepper
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon Paprika
Small amount of Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce)
2 tablespoons of lobster base (Not sure where to find lobster base? See below)

In a small sauce pot, melt the butter under medium heat. Add the onions and saute the onions until they are clear. Then add the paprika and flour to make a roux (a roux is a base for gravies, soups, and other dishes. It’s purpose is to serve as a binder and for flavoring). Cook the sauce for 9 minutes - just make sure it does not brown. Add hot milk and cream and blend the mixture together. Next, combine the seasonings and continue simmering while stirring often (about 15 minutes). Finally, strain the mixture and combine the Sherry. Now you have Newburg Sauce for your recipe above.

Many people enjoy crab without any sauce or butter at all. With its sweet and delicate flavor, crab is a delicacy that can stand on its own without any seasonings, sauces, or butter. However, if you wish to make cocktail sauce or clarified butter, here are a few recipes to help you out.

Cocktail Sauce

This recipe makes about 2 cups

Combine all of the ingredients below and stir. Save the cocktail sauce in a sealed container. If you have a glass container, this works well for storing cocktail sauce.

Ingredients -
1 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup catsup
2 tablespoons horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot sauce (tabasco sauce)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Warcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice (for added flavor use freshly squeezed lemon)

Here is another recipe for Cocktail Sauce that uses less ingredients - simple and easy -

Cocktail Sauce
1 cup ketchup or salsa
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon horseradish
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco)

Mix ingredients well and serve. Store in tightly closed container

Clarified Butter
You can use as much or as little butter as you need.

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once butter is melted and starting to boil, turn off the heat until the milk solids and oil have separated, which is about 10 minutes. Next, skim the milk solids from the surface of the butter. You can save the milk solids if you want to flavor other items such as baked potatoes or other vegetables because the solids have a lot of flavor. Next, pour off the clear butter oil into a dish until you can no longer separate solids from the oil. Use the clarified butter in recipes or for dipping crab.

Seafood chowder is a traditional favorite in New England. This recipe combines clams, crab, shrimp, and scallops to create a diverse chowder recipe with a sweet favor with lots of texture. You can add or delete seafood varieties to taste. Many ingredients make this recipe, but it’s well worth the effort. Also you can consider freezing this recipe. Use Ziplock freezer bags, add chowder and lie flat. Freeze up to 6 months in a deep freezer or up to 3 months in a regular freezer.

This chowder recipe makes 2 quarts.

Seafood Chowder with Crab and Corn

Ingredients -

2 ears of yellow corn still on the ear (don’t shuck yet!)
6 ounces of bay shrimp
6 ounces of dungeness crab meat
6 ounces chopped clams
6 ounces bay scallops
6 strips chopped bacon
1/2 lb onion, chopped
2 ounces celery, chopped
3 ounces flour
3/4 tablespoons chopped green onions
3 ounces of butter
2 cups water
2 ounces clam base
1 cup clam juice
1.5 cups heavy cream
1/2 pound potatoes, diced

seasonings -
1/2 teaspoon bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Where do you find clam base? Clam Base is available here

Product is
100% All-Natural, NO artificial ingredients, NO chemical preservatives and NO artificial coloring.
1 tsp. = 8 oz. Clam Stock/Broth — 1 Container = 5 gallons
FREE chef developed recipes and more are included with every order.

Cooking Directions -

Use a baking sheet and place both ears of corn on the sheet and roast at 375 degrees until the corn is golden brown and the husk turns a dark brown. Remove the corn. Once it has cooled, cut the kernels from the cob. Set aside.

Place bacon in a pot on the stove and cook until crisp. Once the bacon is crisp, add the butter and melt. Next, add garlic, onions, celery, and green onions, cooking about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the flour, stirring and cooking for about 15 minutes. Next add clam juice and then add water. Continue to cook an 15 minutes longer.

Next, add the clam base, corn kernels, potatoes, and seasonings. Simmer for 30 minutes while stirring often until the potatoes are tender. Add the cream and seafood last and stir the seafood chowder until all ingredients are mixed. Serve hot.

There are many different ways to prepare dishes with crab meat. If you are looking for a great comfort recipe, this is the one for you. Crab Pot Pie takes the traditional ingredients of chicken or turkey pot pie recipes and turns the ordinary pot pie recipe into a fabulous seafood stuffed pot pie with veggies. The crispiness of the pot pie combined with the savory buttery crab makes this recipe a favorite for many generations.

Crab Pot Pie

Ingredients
1.5 lbs crab meat (blue crab, dungeness crab, or snow crab)
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup flour
2 cups of chicken stock
3 ounces of melted butter
1.5 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sherry
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 pie dough for covering 9X12 inch pie pan

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Saute the carrots, celery, and onions in butter until they are soft but still slightly firm. Next, add the flour to the saute’d vegetables and cook for about 3 minutes. Continue adding the sherry, chicken stock, and cream and stir until smooth. Add the peas and crab and simmer for about 4 minutes. Add the seasonings and simmer for 1 minute longer.

Prepare the pie baking dish by placing the pie dough in it as if you are making a pie but leave several inches of dough on the outside of the pie pan so that you can cover the mixture. Add the mixture into the baking dish and cover with the pie dough. Seal the edges and bake for 30 minutes. The crust should be golden brown when done.

Here is a recipe that is excellent in its quality of ingredients as well as excellent for your waistline! Crab Stuffed salmon is a favorite that is served in many restaurants. Now you can cook this from the comforts of your own home at half the cost of what you would pay at a restaurant. You can buy Salmon at any grocery store in the seafood area. If you want to buy for a large crowd, stores like Sam’s club have great deals on fish and seafood in larger quantities.

Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Salmon

Ingredients:

6 ounces of crab meat (dungeness or blue crab)
6 ounces of shrimp
3 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped dill
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets - not the steaks
1 cup butter blanc sauce (recipe to in previous post)

Use the directions from my previous post to make the butter blanc sauce. Place the bowl of butter sauce aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the salmon fillets in one slit each so that you have a pocket in them to place the crab and shrimp. In a medium bowl, combine crab, brie, salt, pepper, dill, and shrimp. Take the 3 Tablespoons of mayo and blend into the crab and shrimp mixture carefully. Separate the mixture into the individual salmon fillets. You can use an ice cream scooper to evenly place the crab and shrimp mixture into the fillet pockets. It’s okay if some of the crab mixture is exposed after filling the fish.

Lightly butter a casserole dish or baking dish. Place the salmon fillets in the baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. When done, put the salmon fillets on dinner plates and top with the butter blanc sauce. Serve hot.

These are great with a side of baked potato or steamed vegetables.

For many dishes such as crab and shrimp stuffed salmon, the recipes taste wonderful when topped off with a savory sauce such as the Butter Blanc Sauce. The sauce gives the fish a finishing touch and will impress your guests too.
This recipe makes 1 cup of sauce
Butter Blanc Sauce

Ingredients -
3 ounces white wine vinegar
6 ounces white wine
1 cup heavy ceam
6 ounces cold butter cut into pieces (better to use unsalted to keep the sauce from tasting too salty)
1 shallot
3 ounces cold butter in addition to butter above, cut into pieces

Instructions -

Using a noncorrosive saucepan such as claphalon, teflon, or stainless steel, add the vinegar, wine, and peppercorns. Cut the shallot into quatered pieces and add to the saucepan as well. Heat on medium heat and stir. Reduce the heat and continue stirring until the mix has a syrup consistency. Add cream and reduce heat again until the mixture is very syrupy and about 3-4 tablespoons. Add 2 ounces of butter pieces and stir until melted. Once melted, add 2 more ounces of butter pieces and stir. Continue until you have used all of the butter pieces. Do not allow the mixture to cool too much or the butter will not melt. Strain the mixture and keep it on a double broiler until you are ready to use it.