Grant County Gourmet: Try adding crab to fajitas, dip and potatoes

A recent bounty of crab in our house had me scrambling to find creative ways to use the stuff up. Why would you want to take crab and put it in a recipe when it is so tasty just dipped in butter? Variety.

CRAB CAKES

2 pounds lump crabmeat

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1 pinch ground red pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

2 egg whites, beaten

1 cup mayonnaise

4 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 ounces clarified butter

Clean shell fragments from crabmeat. Mix mustard, ground red pepper, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and eggs with mayonnaise; fold in crabmeat. Add breadcrumbs, baking powder and mix until well blended. Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop the mixture, then form into cakes. Sauté in a skillet over medium heat in butter until golden brown on both sides.

CRABMEAT FAJITAS

12 large jalapeños

4 ounces crabmeat, well drained

1/3 cup minced red onion

1/4 cup minced green bell pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup Mexican beer

Corn oil (for deep frying)

Flour

1/2 avocado, peeled, diced

1/2 cup mild salsa, drained

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Starting just below stem, cut chilies lengthwise in half, leaving stems attached. Seed chilies. Place chilies in heavy medium saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to simmer. Drain. Repeat process. Dry chilies. Combine crab, onion, bell peppers and mayonnaise in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Fill chili cavities with crab mixture. Press chili halves together to compress filling,. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead, cover and chill.) Place 1/2 cup flour in bowl. Gradually whisk in beer. Let stand 5 minutes. Heat oil in heavy deep pot to 375 degrees. Whisk batter to smooth. Dredge jalapeño in flour. Holding stem end, dip into batter to coat completely and deep fry in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer jalapeño to paper towels and drain. Combine avocado, salsa and mayonnaise in small bowl. Season to taste. Arrange chilies on platter. Garnish with salsa.

CORN AND CRABMEAT CHOWDER

1 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery

1 cup bottled clam juice

1 cup water

1 cup half-and-half

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

2 cup cooked corn kernels

2 cups fresh lump crabmeat (pick over well to remove bits of shell and cartilage)

1/4 cup finely chopped coriander

Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the onions and celery. Add the potatoes. Cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted. Add the clam juice, water, half-and-half, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add the corn and half of the crabmeat and stir. Let simmer 6 to 8 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the remaining crabmeat and stir gently. When the soup is heated through, ladle it into hot soup bowls and sprinkle each with the chopped coriander. Serve.

ARTICHOKE AND CRAB STUFFED POTATOES

4 large russet potatoes

3 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 tablespoon minced pickled jalapeños, optional

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 pound crab meat

1 can (13-14 ounce) artichoke heart quarters, drained well and coarsely chopped

Extra shredded Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the potatoes until tender and baked through, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the cream cheese, milk, mayonnaise, green onions, jalapeños and garlic in a mixing bowl and mix with a whip attachment until combined. After potatoes have cooled 10 minutes, cut the top off the potato (lengthwise) and scoop out the hot potato with a spoon, leaving a 1/2 inch shell. Add the potato pulp to the mixing bowl and mix with whip attachment until well mixed. Stir in the 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, crab meat and artichokes. Scoop the mixture back into the potato shells, piling up and dividing evenly. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan for a pretty top. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and heated through.

CRAB DIP

Crabmeat from one crab, picked over to remove any bits of shell

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 hard boiled egg, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chili sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

4 drops Tabasco sauce

1/2 onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve in a bed of ice to keep cold.

COOKED CRAB

4 whole crabs, likely Dungeness

1/4 cup kosher salt

Water

2 sticks butter

In a large stock pot, fill with enough water to cover crabs. Add salt and bring to a boil. Add crabs and return to a low boil for about 18 minutes. Remove crab from pot and place in cold water to stop the cooking process and make the shell easy to handle.

Use about 1/4 cup of salt per gallon of fresh water and bring to a boil. Immerse the whole crab and again bring the water to boiling. Boil for about 18-20 minutes. Remove the crab from the pot and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process and cool the shell for handling. In a small saucepan, place the butter in it and heat over low to melt it. Serve with the crab.