DUNGENESS CRAB IN WINE & VERMOUTH
This simple dish celebrates one of the real treasures of the Northern California, Oregon and Washington coasts – – Dungeness crab! I think it’s the best but unfortunately it’s not generally available outside these areas. You can substitute other crab such as King crab. Fresh mussels, clams and shrimp can also be substituted. Serve with a big stack of napkins and lots of crusty French bread.
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an appetizer
1 large (3 – 4 lb.) cooked, fresh Dungeness crab
1/4 lb. unsalted butter
2/3 cup vermouth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 cups clear fish or chicken stock
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon cold water
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Clean, crack and separate crab into sections and set aside.
Place remaining ingredients, except parsley and pepper, together in a saucepan and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Add crab, parsley and pepper and warm crab through.
Divide into large bowls with the broth and serve immediately.
Recommended Wine: This dish would go well with either a rich, buttery Chardonnay or other white wine such as Viognier that has seen some barrel aging and Malolactic fermentation.
CRAB RICE PAPER ROLLS
This is a variation on the “California Roll” which has become so popular in Sushi restaurants. Instead on using rice and nori, I’m using cellophane noodles and edible rice paper. You can also substitute butter lettuce leaves for the rice paper.
Serves 6 – 8 as an appetizer
2 ounces thin rice stick or vermicelli
1 medium cucumber
2 firm ripe avocados
24 small rice paper rounds or quarter rounds, softened (see method below)
1 pound cooked crab meat
3 –4 tablespoons drained sweet pickled ginger
1/2 cup finely sliced green onion or garlic chives
1/3 cup loosely packed mint or cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds
Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
Soften rice stick in hot water for 10 minutes then cook until tender in boiling water for a minute or so. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Set aside covered loosely with plastic wrap.
Peel and seed the cucumber and cut into 4-inch long strips. Peel the avocado, discard pit and cut into long slices.
For each roll lay out a softened rice paper on a tea towel and place a tablespoon of so of the cooked rice stick across the center. Add a piece of cucumber, some of the crab, pickled ginger, green onion and a mint leaf or two. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and fold the sides in and then roll into a tight bundle. Place on a dish with the seam side down. Serve with dipping sauce. This is definitely a treat to eat with your fingers!
Softening Rice papers
Traditionally the dry rice papers are dipping into a bowl of lukewarm water for 20 – 30 seconds or until they just begin to soften. Lay them out on a dry tea towel and let them sit for another minute or so until they are completely softened. You can usually do 4 to 6 at a time. An alternate method is to lay the rice papers between layers of damp towel where they will soften in 5 – 8 minutes.
Dipping Sauce
Makes 1 cup
1/4 cup fish sauce (namm pla)
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
2 teaspoons finely minced serrano or bird chiles (or to taste)
Heat the fish sauce and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat and stir till sugar is dissolved. Off heat and cool to room temperature. Stir in lime juice, garlic and chiles and allow to sit for at least one hour before using. Can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored refrigerated.
CRAB WONTONS WITH ORANGE-CHIPOTLE SAUCE
China meets California meets Mexico in this fun dish. The wontons and sauce can be made ahead and frozen if desired. To freeze the wontons, place uncovered in a single layer on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet and freeze until hard. Wontons can then be carefully placed in sealed freezer bags. Defrost in refrigerator before using.
Yield: 40 Wontons, serving 8 – 10
3 cups Dungeness crab meat
3 cups fresh corn
2 cups minced red bell pepper
1/2 cup plumped raisins (plumped in 1/2 cup dry white wine)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 teaspoons toasted ground cumin seed
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon finely minced lime zest
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
80 wonton wrappers
Water and small pastry brush
Cornstarch or rice flour
Oil for deep-frying
Orange-Chipotle Sauce (recipe follows)
Garnish: Cilantro sprigs
Combine all ingredients for filling. Place 1 oz. of filling on a wonton wrapper, brush the outside edge with water and place a second wrapper on top pressing the edges together to seal completely. Place on a sheet of waxed paper dusted with cornstarch and proceed to fill the rest.
Preheat oil to 360 degrees and deep fry for 3 – 4 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Serve immediately on warm plates with Orange-Chipotle Sauce and cilantro sprigs.
Orange-Chipotle Sauce:
Yields approximately 3/4 cup
8 oz. fresh orange juice
1/2 cup roasted red pepper puree
1 teaspoon minced orange zest
1/2 teaspoon minced lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey (or to taste)
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon toasted, crushed cumin seed
2 teaspoons minced chipotle in adobo (or to taste)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
In a saucepan over moderate heat reduce fresh juice by half and cool.
Place juice and remaining ingredients except the oil in a blender. Blend well and with motor running, slowly add the oil to form a smooth sauce.
Store covered and refrigerated for up to a week.
Recommended Wine: The sauce is pretty spicy so a Gewurztraminer or Riesling with some residual sugar and good acid is the choice here.
DUNGENESS CRAB CAKES WITH SALSA CRUDA
West coast Dungeness crab is the best in my opinion and makes a wonderful crab cake. The fresh salsa in this recipe is a nice counterpoint to the rich cake.
Serves 4 as an appetizer or first course
1 egg, beaten
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced green onion
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
8 – 10 drops Tabasco sauce or to taste
1 lb. fresh Dungeness crab meat, picked over to remove any shell
1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs (Panko preferred)
Clarified butter or vegetable oil for sautéing
Salsa Cruda (recipe follows)
Garnish: Sliced avocado fans and cilantro sprigs
Combine first seven ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in crab and then briefly the bread crumbs. Don’t over mix. You want the cakes to just hold together and be delicate in texture. Form into 8 small cakes and sauté in clarified butter or oil until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with a little dollop of salsa on the side garnished with avocado fans and cilantro sprigs on top.
Salsa Cruda
Makes approximately 1 ½ cups
1 1/4 cups seeded and diced ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon minced, seeded serrano chile or to taste
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
Drops of lime or lemon juice to taste
Pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and allow flavors to blend for at least 1 hour before using. Store refrigerated.
John Ash © 1999
DUNGENESS CRAB RISOTTO WITH A CARROT CORN BROTH
Depending on where you come from, everyone seems to have his or her favorite kind of crab. Being a west coast boy, I think Dungeness with its meaty sweet flavor is the best by far! This is a rich and wonderful risotto. The most commonly used rice for risotto is a superfino variety called Arborio. There are others in this family however that are worth seeking out such as Carnaroli and Vialone Nano. If you can find it use the Vialone Nano for this recipe. It’s a little smaller and sweeter than arborio.
Serves 6 – 8
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup finely chopped shallots or green onions
2 cups Vialone Nano or Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups or so rich shellfish or chicken broth, heated to a simmer
1 pound sliced wild mushrooms such as chanterelle or oyster, quickly sautéed in butter
1 1/4 pounds freshly picked Dungeness crab meat
1/2 cup mascarpone
1 tablespoon finely grated and chopped lemon zest
2 tablespoons each chopped fresh chives and tarragon
Carrot-Corn Broth (recipe follows)
Garnish: Dungeness crab claws, fresh tarragon or chervil sprigs and salmon roe plumped rinsed in ice water.
Over moderate heat melt the butter in a deep skillet or saucepan and add the shallots. Stir and cook for 3 or 4 minutes until the shallots are soft but not brown. Add rice and stir to coat with butter mixture and cook for 3 –4 minutes more or until shallots and rice are just beginning to color. Add wine, stir and cook until it’s nearly evaporated. Add enough hot broth to barely cover the rice and stir until most of it is absorbed. Add another 1/2 cup broth and continue stirring till most of it is absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring in this manner for 15 minutes or so until rice is creamy on the outside but firm in the center.
When the last addition of the broth goes in add the mushrooms, crab meat, mascarpone, zest and herbs. Adjust seasoning and spoon into warm bowls with a ladle or two of the carrot-corn broth ringing the risotto. Garnish with the crab claws, herb sprigs and salmon roe and serve immediately.
Carrot-Corn Broth
Yields 2+ cups
5 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (6 large ears) to yield 1 cup juice
3/4 pound peeled carrots to yield 1 cup juice
1 1/2 tablespoons softened butter or olive oil
Drops of hot sauce to taste or optionally drops of truffle oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a centrifugal juicer, juice the corn and carrots. Add juices to a saucepan and warm over moderate heat just below the simmer. Whisk in butter, drops of hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
Note: For variation you can add poached garlic to the carrots to be juiced; substitute red bell pepper juice for some of the carrot or add an infusion of saffron simmered for a few minutes in white wine. Also if sauce gets too hot it sometimes will have a “curdled” appearance. If this happens, pulse a few times in a blender.
DUNGENESS CRAB, CABBAGE AND APPLE SALAD
Serves 6
This combines rich wonderful flavors that are a perfect match for a big toasty Chardonnay. The Benriner Company of Japan manufactures the Japanese turner slicer referred to below. Living close to San Francisco as I do I get mine and from Soko Hardware at (415) 931-5510.
24 large Belgian Endive leaves of approximately the same size
5 cups very finely shredded green cabbage
1 large tart sweet apple such as Gala; peeled, cored and cut into julienne
1/2 cup lightly toasted pistachios, halved
Walnut Oil Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1 pound fresh cooked Dungeness crab meat plus 6 claw meat portions
Garnish: Raw beet threads (using a Japanese turner slicer), fresh daikon sprouts and fresh salmon caviar
Place four endive leaves arranged in a square in the center of 6 plates. Combine cabbage, apples and pistachios and mound in the center of the endive square. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of vinaigrette over cabbage mixture. Divide crab and place on top of cabbage and drizzle another teaspoon or two of vinaigrette over crab placing a claw meat portion on top.
Garnish with beet threads, daikon sprouts and a sprinkling of salmon caviar and serve immediately.
Walnut Oil Vinaigrette
Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups
Use a walnut oil that has a rich nutty flavor. Generally the best, most fragrant oils come from France. I have however found a good one from California from the California Press in the Napa Valley (707) 944-0343. The use of stock here helps reduce the fat content a bit and also results in a “creamy” vinaigrette. Reduced stocks are a great way generally to lower the fat in salad dressings. Try to use a good homemade, unsalted stock if you can.
1/3 cup chopped shallots or green onions (white portion only)
1 tablespoon blanched, chopped garlic
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup reduced rich chicken stock (reduced by 50% from original)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 – 2/3 cup fragrant walnut oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as dill, tarragon, parsley, chives or a combination
Add the shallots, garlic, lemon zest and 1/3 cup reduced stock in a blender and purée till smooth. Add remaining stock, lemon juice, vinegar and mustard and with motor running, gradually add walnut oil to form a smooth creamy vinaigrette. Add more oil if a thicker vinaigrette is desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in herbs. Store covered in refrigerator up to 5 days.
Recommended wine: This would go well with a rich oak aged white such as barrel fermented Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc or an aromatic Viognier or Roussane with good structure.
CRAB AND CORN CHOWDER WITH GINGER
We use our California Dungeness crab that is very rich and sweet in flavor. Any crab could be used of course. The combination with sweet corn is an unusually good one, particularly accented by fresh ginger.
Serves 8
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups diced onions
1/2 cup finely diced celery or fresh fennel
1/4 cup finely diced red bell peppers
1/4 teaspoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo (or to taste)
1 teaspoon lightly toasted coriander seed
1 cup fruity white wine, such as Riesling
4 cups rich chicken or shellfish stock, previously simmered with corn cobs, if available
2 cups peeled and diced waxy potatoes
3 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from the cob
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
10 oz. cooked crab meat
1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Garnish: Crab Tomalley Toasts (recipe follows)
In a soup pot, sauté the ginger in olive oil briefly to soften. Add onions, celery, red pepper and chipotle and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes longer. Add coriander seed, wine, stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are almost done. In a blender add one cup of the corn along with one cup of the hot soup stock and puree. Add back to soup pot along with remaining whole corn, cream and crab. Stir in cilantro and correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately garnished with Crab Tomalley toasts, if desired.
Crab Tomalley
16 two-inch rounds of good quality French bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup cooked crab tomalley
2 teaspoons minced parsley or sorrel
Fresh ground white pepper to taste
Toast bread rounds until crisp and golden brown and set aside. In a small sauté pan, cook shallots in 2 teaspoons butter until soft but not brown. Remove from heat and cool. Beat shallots, remaining butter, tomalley and parsley together by hand or with a mixer until well combined. Add pepper to taste. Spread butter on toasts.
Recommended wine: The flavors of corn, crab and ginger all have affinity for a rich Chardonnay.
Tomalley
If you are lucky enough to get fresh or fresh cooked crab be sure to take it home whole and clean it yourself so that you can retrieve the tomalley. The tomalley resides in the body shell or carapace; it‘s the greenish sometimes yellowish matter that turns orange and white when cooked. It actually is the liver of the crab. Scoop it out and use it to make the tomalley toasts or just stir into the chowder to enhance the crab flavor.
CRAB-CORN MUFFINS
We tend to get carried away in California about Dungeness crab. It’s sweet and meaty, and I think the best tasting crab there is (although I get lots of arguments from crab lovers in other parts of the country). Use whatever crab is available to you.
A salad of savory greens served along with these hearty muffins make a perfect summer meal for me. You could also make mini corn-crab muffins, split them and layer them with some thinly sliced cucumbers, sweet red onion and smoked salmon for a dynamite hors d’ oeuvres or first course.
Makes 10 muffins
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onions
1/4 cup finely diced red bell peppers
2 tablespoons finely diced Anaheim peppers (optional)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup Dungeness crab meat, shredded and picked over to remove any shell
Sift the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
Sauté the onions, red and green peppers together in the butter until soft but not brown. Cool and add to flour mixture. Add egg, buttermilk, chives, parsley and crab and stir just to combine.
Divide batter among 10 well-buttered muffin cups (fill 2/3 full) and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until muffins are puffed and browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.
John Ash © 2000