I have had the good fortune of being friends with Ric Merrifield for over 25 years who has a place on Dungeness Bay in Sequim WA. What more of an authentic place to source Dungeness Crab! Now crabbing with Ric is a very unique and special experience. We do not use crab pots, go out in a boat, or use other traditional techniques to source crab – we crab hunt. Yes, we wade at least a mile out during a low tide and use our bare hands to capture the unsuspecting crustaceans.
Now there is an art to keeping one’s digits. Some folk use a small plastic rake or shovel to immobilize or otherwise entice a crab to latch on with its claws. Another effective technique is to grab the crab by its two back legs or on the back of its shell so that you can immobilize and/or control the crab with its business end pointing away from you. Now Ric is the master Crab Hunter, without looking at the crab, he can reach down, assess where he has grabbed the crab, and by feel and 40+ years of knowing the crab physiology well, can tell by the shape of the shell, where he has secured the critter. I have gone on countless crab hunting expeditions with Ric over the years and often bring my sons Carter and Rhone who love the sport, are great at crab cleaning and enjoy the bounty of our harvests.
This recipe is from Pure Flavor by Kurt Dammeier.
DUNGENESS CRAB CAKES WITH TANGY REMOULADE
“What makes these crab cakes different is a bit of cheese,” says Dammeier. Serves 8 as an appetizer and 4 as a main course.
Ingredients
2 to 3 TBS. unsalted butter
1 green onion (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1 lb. (3 cups) cooked lump crabmeat, preferably Dungeness, rinsed and drained
1 to 2 large eggs
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1/4 cup basic mayonnaise, all-natural
1 oz. (1/4 cup) semi -hard cheese, your choice, (cheddar, gruyere, Swiss, Gouda, provolone or Emmenthaler
21/2 cups finely ground fresh bread crumbs
Preparation
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the green onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently, until just softened. Remove the vegetables from the pan to a small plate or bowl and allow them to cool.
Place the crabmeat in a medium bowl and pick through it with your hands, removing any pieces of shell. In a small bowl, beat together 1 egg and the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, and mayonnaise. Add the egg mixture and cooled vegetables to the crabmeat and combine gently but thoroughly with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add the cheese and bread crumbs to the crabmeat and gently 3mix with your hands until evenly combined.
Divide the crabmeat mixture into 8 equal parts(about3/4 each) and form with your hands into patties approximately3/4 inch thick, pressing very firmly so the cakes stick together. (Moistening your hands with water will help keep the crab from sticking to them.) If the cakes do not hold together, dump them back into the bowl, beat the second egg in a small bowl and add half the egg. Mix thoroughly to combine and form the crab cakes again. Place the crab cakes on a plate until ready to cook.
Reheat the skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Carefully place 4 crab cakes in the hot pan. Do not crowd them. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on one side without touching them.
When the crab cakes are lightly browned on the bottom, carefully turn them over with a wide spatula and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until the second side is lightly browned Transfer the crab cakes to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Cook the remaining 4 crab cakes in the skillet, adding 1 more tablespoon of butter, if needed.
Serve hot, topped with a spoonful of tangy remoulade.
TANGY REMOULADE
Ingredients
1/4 cup ketchup
3 TBS. sour cream
2 TBS. mayonnaise, all natural
2 TBS. whole grain mustard
11/2 TBS. capers, drained
1 TBS. peeled and grated fresh horseradish or creamy store-bought
4 to 6 dashes Tabasco or other hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preperation
In a small bowl, briskly whisk together the ketchup, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, capers, horseradish, hot sauce, salt and pepper with a fork to combine thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to a 1 day ahead.
One Comment
Comments are closed.