a few other crab ideas

So I think I have now comprehensively covered crab... but just to leave you with a few other recipe ideas in case you too ever end up with a crab overload!

One of my favourite things to eat is chilli crab, but make sure you have a shower nearby because chances are you will be covered from head to toe by the end of the meal. Its a Singapore classic and there are many recipes available, one of the best I have tried however is this Gourmet Traveller one.

Serve with warm bread, or salty chips and an ice cold beer.

A delicious corn fritter recipe which is always popular with a crowd is this Bill Granger recipe. Fresh crab meat is a great addition mixed into these fritters or even served on top. It makes for a perfect light lunch served with fresh salad greens. 

blue manna crab risotto with homemade stock

As promised more crab recipes (we really did just have that much crab!)...

One of my favourite things that I have made with crab, is crab risotto. Crab meat can have a very delicate flavour, and that's why often crab risotto's can be a big disappointment as the crab is completely overpowered. In order to retain that beautiful taste a full flavoured crab stock is the perfect base for the risotto. 

A crab stock is really very easy and doesn't require half as much cooking time as a chicken or beef stock. To start the stock follow the cooking instructions given in the previous 'blue manna crab' post, removing the crab after only 5 mins. Once the crabs have cooled you need to remove all the meat from the crabs, retaining the shells for the stock. 

ingredients

     -   3 carrots, quatered
     -   2 brown onions, halved
     -   shells of 8 blue manna crabs

method

To make the stock heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and roast the crab shells along with the onion and carrot for approximately 15 mins (or until browned). Put a large pot of water (~3 litres) over high heat on the stove, and once boiling add the roasted components. Turn the heat down slightly and continue to boil for another 30 mins. 

A crab stock should not be boiled for too long as with all seafood stocks it can become bitter.Once the 30 mins is over strain the liquid, discarding the solids, and then pass it through a very fine sieve. Return to the pot and slowly simmer while skimming off any impurities which rise to the top, and reduce until there is approximately 1.5-2 litres of liquid remaining. I always choose to refrain from seasoning stock when I make it as it is much easier to adjust to taste when it is being used. 

You can make the stock ahead of time and it will last in the fridge for a couple of days, or alternatively can be frozen for a couple of months. 

To make the crab risotto there are many variations you can choose. For this one I used your traditional arborio rice, however I have done it before with grains such as barley and this can be a healthy alternative with a delicious nutty texture. I didn't introduce too many extra components to the risotto as I had an abundance of crab meat, however if you are lighter on meat feel free to bulk it out with vegetables such as fennel. 

ingredients

     -   1 large brown onion, finely chopped
     -   2 cloves of garlic, crushed
     -   2 cups arborio rice
     -   1/2 cup dry white wine
     -   2 litres crab stock 
     -   crab meat from 8 blue manna crabs
     -   2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
     -   butter
     -   olive oil 
     -   1/2 cup grated parmesan
     -   sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

method

Heat a heavy based saucepan on a medium heat and gently fry the garlic and onion in olive oil until soft. Once soft add the arborio rice and stir until well coated, the rice should appear translucent. Next add the white wine and allow to cook off. 

Start slowly adding the stock to the pan all the while stirring continuously. If you heat the stock before adding it to the pan, it will be absorbed faster and overall reduce your cooking time, however this is not strictly necessary. The rice should be cooked in approximately 30 mins, but test it along the way to ensure it is to your personal preference, either increasing or decreasing the amount of stock to your liking. Add the spring onions and crab to the pan about 2/3rds of the way through this process. 

Once the rice is cooked remove the pan from the heat and stir through the butter, parmesan and seasoning, cover and allow to stand for a few minutes. Serve immediately.

blue manna crab cakes with a citrus salad

One of my favourite lunches at a local restaurant is the crab cakes with a grapefruit salad. Given that I had a fridge full of crab and the variety of citrus in my fruit bowl was looking tantalising, I thought I would give it a go at home. 

The crab cakes I did are based on a Jamie Oliver recipe. Jamie's recipe most likely refers to the brown crab most commonly eaten in England as it specifies a ratio of brown to white crabmeat of 2:1. In the case of blue manna crabs you will however find the majority of the meat is white. I slightly altered the original recipe based on what I had at home. 

ingredients

     -   500g potatoes, larger ones halved

     -   sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

     -   olive oil

     -   500g mixed crabmeat

     -   2 lemons

     -   a few sprigs of fresh coriander

     -   ½ a fresh red chilli, thinly sliced

     -   3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced

method

The first step is to boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, this usually takes around 20 mins. You can peel the potatoes if you like, but I prefer to leave the skin on.  Once the potatoes are cooked through, drain the water from the pot, season the potatoes and mash. Grate the zest of one of the lemons and then chop together with the red chilli, spring onions and coriander. Add all your chopped ingredients and crab meat to the pot with the potatoes and continue to mash until well combined. Once the mixture is cool enough to handle shape into round patties (makes about 12). 

Transfer the patties to the fridge one complete and let them rest (and firm up) for a minimum of 4 hours. I made the mistake of leaving out this step and although they still tasted great they didn't hold together very well! When you are ready to eat, heat a frying pan over high heat, add olive oil and the patties in batches and cook for about 5 mins, or until cooked through, turning half way. 

The citrus salad is a Martha Stewart recipe which again underwent a few forced modifications for what was available in the pantry (becoming a much simpler salad) as I had very little desire to rush down to the shops on a Sunday evening.

ingredients

     -   ruby-red or pink grapefruit, peel and pith removed

     -   blood oranges, peel and pith removed

     -   3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

     -   1 tablespoon honey

     -   Salt and freshly ground black pepper

     -   5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

     -   1/4 cup canola oil

     -   cos lettuce

method

Using a short sharp knife peel the oranges and grapefruit, ensuring that you have removed all the pith. Once peeled segment the fruit by slice on either side of the membrane and removing each segment. Performing this over a bowl to catch all the juices, and squeeze the leftover fruit to remove all the juice once the segments have been removed. 

To make the vinaigrette combine the honey, vinegar salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and then the canola oil and some of the reserved juices to taste. To serve; arrange the citrus segments over the lettuce and drizzle with vinaigrette. 

Serve the salad with hot crab cakes straight from the pan...

blue manna crab

Although sadly that time of year is coming to an end it has been an awesome crabbing season! Come summer the Swan River is full of Blue Manna crabs and if you find a good spot all you have to do is drop down a net set with a tantalising fish head or two, sit back, relax and wait. About a drink later you can pull up your nets and with any luck you will have caught dinner.

To the question of what to do with your catch there is no single answer. The traditional West Australian approach is to boil them up, line the dining table with newspaper and allow everyone to tuck in, with a bowl of vinegar and aioli nearby for dipping.

After a few particularly bountiful sessions over the summer weekends, I had to come up with a few other ways to use up all the crab! Once a crab dies it releases enzymes which hasten the deterioration of the meat. If you don’t plan to eat them straight away you can attempt to keep them alive, or I think it’s easiest just to cook them up the day they’re caught and then they can be stored in the fridge for a few days.

To cook the crabs bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil before adding the live crabs to the pot. The moment the crabs enter the water their blue shells will transform to orange, they will also take a lot of heat out of the water, so wait until the water returns to the boil before starting the timer.  

If you plan on eating the crabs the traditional way about 7 mins is the right amount of time to cook them through, but if you plan on using them for another purpose which will involve more cooking 5 mins should do. Once they are cooked dunk them in ice cold water to stop the cooking process and allow them to come away from the shell more easily. 

If you can't wait any longer they are ready to serve as is! Serve with vinegar and warm buttered bread!

If you do however want to try something different with your catch, watch this space for recipes to follow...