For those of us with a bit of the south in our pedigree (for better or for worse as it may be) mention ‘crab’ and we’ll immediately conjure up an image of a big blue crab fresh from the Gulf.
Long time Chi Wulff readers know that we’re a fan of the pedestrian things in life, and Gulf blue crabs are without a doubt the blue collar cousins to the King crabs of Alaska and cold, northern waters.
If the king crab is indeed the royalty in the crustacean kingdom, Gulf blue crabs are the butchers, bakers and candlestick makers of the ocean world. They’d drive old pickups, drink cheap beer and have lots of tattoos.
We applaud those risking life and limb to harvest king’s up north, though there’s something almost mystical about gathering up a mess of blue crabs yourself.
It’s a hell of a lot of fun to grab a beer(s), a hunk of salt pork or a chicken leg, an attractive companion of the opposite sex who doesn’t mind getting her or his hands dirty and head for the bay or pier and rustle up a mess of crabs.
I’ve written about this a couple of times during the past few months; my MaMa (maw-maw) was the champion of handling crabs at her coastal Texas beach house -
We had a big Texas styled crab trap hanging from the end of the pier around the clock and every day or so there would be another batch of blue crabs ready for the pot.
When you’re 5 or 6 a big blue crab looks huge, almost monster sized. We were always amazed at how Ma Ma would reach in the bucket barehanded, snatch a big one without getting pinched and dispatch it with quick, efficient coolness, all the while telling us stories and teaching much more than she probably ever realized.
We spent many a sweltering afternoon sitting at the big table on the porch, replete with the requisite blue checkered plastic tablecloth, cracking claws and picking crabmeat to gather up a mess to make crab cakes and crab cocktails.
The fresh crab was like nothing else – sweet and rich with a background note of the sea.
Most of us don’t have a crab trap hanging off the end of the pier 100 feet from the front door, though you can round up some fresh crab now and again for a splurge.
This week we had a surprise invite from an old friend for dinner – she has a yet-to-be-disclosed coastal connection that gifts her with seafood goodness from the gulf with some regularity. She had been given a couple of pounds of fresh, picked and cleaned crab not more than 36 hours out of the water.
She tempted us with a promise of something a bit different though didn’t offer details.
What she served up was what just might be the best damned crab cake I’ve ever tasted and that’s not a statement made lightly around here. The hollandaise sauce was smooth, rich and tart enough to balance the richness of the crab AND it was made in a flash in the blender.
(Though our clan are die-hard foodies we’d never found a hollandaise prep that we could make with comfort and consistency. Those days are over with this recipe.)
Unquestionably well worth the extra nickel for the crab, and yep, MaMa would have a second helping of these.
Wee Crab Cakes
16 ounces cream cheese, room temp
2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tbs + 6 tbs chopped fresh chives
2 tsp grated orange peel, fine
1 tsp grated lemon peel, fine
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
12 ounces (give or take) fresh lump crab meat
2 cups panko
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, meltedBlender Hollandaise
1 and 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cubed
2 large egg yolks (three if your eggs are skimpy)
2 tbs + fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Wee Crab Cakes
Mix it up. Using your trusty electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and then add a generous 1/2 cup of Parmesan on the egg; combine well. Beat in the orange and lemon peels, 3 tbs of the chives, salt and cayenne. Gently fold in the crab, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Form the cakes. Combine the rest of the Parmesan and the panko well, spread in a large plate. Using more or less a tablespoon at a time, form each mini cake into a round and coat thoroughly with the panko/Parmesan mixture. Flatten each slightly.
Cook ‘em up. Pan fry in batches over medium high heat in a skillet of melted butter. They will brown nicely and have a crunchy crust that’s impossibly good. Drain on a warm platter.
Blender Hollandaise
Get everything ready. Fill your blender with hot water and set aside. Melt the butter over medium heat until just foaming. Drain the blender and dry well.
Make the magic. Place the egg yolks and 2 tbs fresh lemon juice in the blender, combine well. With the blender still running, remove the lid insert and slowly pour the melted butter into the blender in a thin, steady stream. Don’t use the milk solids remaining in the bottom of the pan. Blend until a creamy sauce forms.
Finish it off and serve. Immediately season to taste with salt, pepper and a bit more lemon if desired (perfect for the crab cakes) and serve.
Wow.
Enjoy.
Tags: Friday Feast
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