Whenever you see a recipe asking for crabmeat, do you know what type to use for that dish?
Whenever you see a recipe asking for crabmeat, do you know what type to use for that dish?
It seems very confusing as you read the labels.
The types:
— Colossal or jumbo lump is large and bright white color and have a delicate taste. It comes from the two large muscles connected to the swimming fins of the crab and colossal comes from larger crabs. Do not break up these jumbo lumps into small pieces, but serve it whole, showcasing its size.
— Super lump are large pieces on the body of the crab. They are great for crab cakes or ceviche.
— Backfin is a blend of broken pieces of jumbo lump and super lump. It is meat from the whole back part of the crab.
— Special is the most versatile, consisting of smaller pieces of white meat from the body, but not the jumbo lump section, and can be made into crab cakes, in salads, wraps and soups.
— Claw meat is picked from the swimming fins of the crab, is brown in color, and has a stronger flavor, which works well for heavy sauces, made into dips, or in soups.
It is not always practical to get fresh crabmeat, and our alternatives are often the 1 pound containers in the refrigerated seafood section of the market or canned. Unfortunately, many of the canned crabs are mealy, with liquid, which takes some of the fresh sweet taste away. The canned crabmeat is usually unacceptable because they have to be processed at higher temperatures in order to make them shelf-staple. Making them into dips or filling may be some uses for canned crabmeat.
Imitation crab is made mostly from Alaskan Pollock, where it is abundant, especially in the Bering Sea. The bones are removed, then minced, rinsed and made into what the Japanese call “surimi.” It was invented in 1975 and then in 1983, American companies started production began. Imitation crab is lower in cholesterol than crabmeat.
Cook’s Illustrated’s May 2012 issue gave a great recipe for crab cakes with shrimp as the binder and the need to refrigerate the crab cakes for at least 30 minutes to set them.
They recommend fresh crabmeat, but if not able to, they recommend the Phillips Premium Crab Jumbo in the refrigerated section.
If the crab meat has a fresh smell, steps 1 and 4 are not necessary.
The Best Cook’s
Illustrated
Crab Cakes
Serves 4
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (remember last week’s column)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Place crabmeat in milk in bowl, making sure crab is totally submerged. Cover, refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place 3/4 cup panko in small zip-loc bad and finely crush with rolling pin. Transfer crushed panko to 10-inch nonstick skillet and add remaining 3/4 cup panko. Toast over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 5 minutes. Transfer panko to shallow dish and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Wipe out skillet.
Pulse celery, onion, and garlic in food processor until finely chopped, 5-8 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Rinse processor bowl and blade and reserve. Melt butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add chopped vegetables, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and all moisture has evaporated, 4-6 minutes. Return vegetables to large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Rinse out pan and wipe clean.
Strain crabmeat through fine-mesh strainer, pressing firmly to remove milk but being careful not to break up lumps of crabmeat.
Pulse shrimp in now-empty food processor until finely ground, 12-15 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Add cream and pulse to combine, 2-4 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer shrimp puree to bowl with cooled vegetables. Add mustard, hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning, stir until well combined. Add crabmeat and fold gently with rubber spatula, being careful not to over-mix and break lumps of crabmeat. Divide mixture into 8 balls and firmly press into 1/2-inch thick patties. Place cakes on rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Coat each cake in panko, firmly pressing to adhere crumbs to exterior. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Place 4 cakes in skillet and cook without moving them until golden brown. Using 2 spatulas, carefully flip cakes, add 1 tablespoon oil, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until second side is golden brown. Transfer to platter. Clean skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil, cook remaining 4.
Small Bites
Crabs are decapods with 10 legs. They usually have a hard shell or carapace. They are a good source of vitamins, minerals, the good cholesterol, chromium, protein and have few calories.
The Maryland Blue crabs molt at the first full moon in May and must be harvested within one to three hours, after which the shell starts hardening.
Foodie Bites:
The Hawaii Community College Culinary Program opened last week on Thursday and Friday and will open this week for two days. Call 934-2559 for details.
Please feel free to e-mail me at wilson.audrey@hawaiiantel.net if you have a question. Bon appetit until next week.