If you love crab – don’t miss the 23RD ANNUAL TEXAS CRAB FESTIVAL: MOTHERS DAY WEEKEND – MAY 9, 10 & 11, 2008: GREGORY PARK, CRYSTAL BEACH, TEXAS – Over 60 Food & Craft Booths, Crab Legs Contest, Texas Crab Fest Weiner Dog Nationals, Crab Races, Carnival/ Rides/Games, and a Kids Stage with free entertainment and fun activities for the "Little Crabbies"! You can enjoy some of the Tastiest Crab & Seafood Dishes on the Texas Gulf Coast, find the perfect Mothers Day Gift among the many treasures offered by talented local artists, both professional and amateur and vendors, or just pull up a patch of grass, sit back in your own lawn chair and enjoy some of the Best Live Music in the Lone Star State. Last year’s entertainment included: Butch Leger & Sons of the Beaches, Donnie Vondra & Tejas, Lil’ Bit and the Customatics, The Texas Showcase, L’Angelus, Ezra Charles and the Works, Johnny Lee, The Grateful Geezers, Dean Scott and MORE!!! Join us for 3 days of Sun, Fun, and CRABS, CRABS, CRABS!

Sauted Crab Appitizer Recipe with Lemongrass

1/4 pound butter
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoon finely minced green onion
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 small lime
12 toast points or baked puff pastry shells

Melt butter in a large skillet and add garlic, lemongrass and green onions. Cook, stirring about 3 minutes, but do not brown. Add crabmeat and toss gently and thoroughly until heated through. Sprinkle with chives, parsley and lemon juice or lime juice.

Spoon mixture onto hot toast points, puff pastry shells, or serve over rice.

Thai Cuisine is known for its balance of five fundamental flavors in each dish or the overall meal – hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty and bitter (optional).

Thai food can be broken down into four regional cuisines corresponding to the four main regions of the country: Northern, Northeastern (or Isan), Central and Southern. Southern curries,  tend to contain coconut milk and fresh turmeric, while northeastern dishes often include lime juice.

Thai cuisine has been greatly influenced by the cuisine of its neighboring and nearby countries, especially India, China, Malaysia, and Laos.

PONTI THAI CURRY PENNE PASTA RECIPE with CRAB

Part one
4 TBLS butter
4 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup diced onion
4 large granny smith apples cored and diced
8 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper
 

Part two
4 cups Marsala
4 cups chicken broth
12 tsp Thai red curry paste
8 tsp Thai fish sauce
4 cups coconut milk
4 cups whipping cream
2 pounds penne pasta
1 pound Dungeness crab meat (lump meat works best, check for bones)
2 cups tomato chutney
fresh basil (lots) washed, dried and cut without bruising for the garnish
 
 
Combine the first six ingredients in a medium saucepan and sauté over high heat until onions are soft.
 
Add the Marsala to the apple and onion mixture and reduce to half volume. Add chicken broth, curry paste and fish sauce; simmer for 10 minutes. Allow mixture to cool and blend until very fine in a food processor or blender.
 
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Heat coconut milk, cream and the curry mixture and cook until thick. Toss the crabmeat and pasta into the sauce to coat. Divide onto plates and top with the tomato chutney and fresh chopped basil.
 
 Ingredients for Tomato Chutney
 
2 cups rice wine vinegar
4 tsp grated ginger
1 cup brown sugar
8 tsp lemon juice
4 1 pound cans pear tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 cinnamon sticks
 
Directions
 
Combine vinegar, ginger, brown sugar and lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and cinnamon sticks. Simmer for additional 30 minutes.

Crabmeat au Gratin

1 stalk celery (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1/4 lb. margarine
1/2 cup flour
1 can evaporated milk (13oz)
2 egg yolks (broken and stirred)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 lb. crabmeat
1/2 cup grated cheese

Saute onion and celery in margarine until tender. Add flour, slowly add evaporated milk. Cook until thickened. Add salt, pepper, and egg yolks. Stir well. Add crabmeat, stir. Pour into casserole dish, top with cheese and bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

Crab and Shrimp Gumbo

4 quarts water
4 bay leaves
3/4 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 onions, chopped
4 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups sliced okra
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound crabmeat, picked over
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a large pot combine water and bay leaves; set on a back burner over medium heat until needed.
 
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When melted, whisk in flour and heat until dark golden brown, stirring constantly; do not burn.

Add onions, tomatoes and okra. Mix well until evenly coated and slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Quickly whisk 3 or 4 ladles of water from pot into vegetable mixture; stirring until blended. Transfer back to pot and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in crab and shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink, a few minutes more. Serve warm.

Makes 12 servings.

Curried Crab Recipe

Curried Crab
 
5 Tbsp. butter
4 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot chili pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 lb. crab meat
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 c. clam broth
2 c. breadcrumbs
 
Saute onions, garlic & chili pepper in butter for approx. 4 minutes.  Slowly stir in curry powder.  Add crab, cilantro & parsley.  Add salt & pepper.  Slowly stir in clam broth.  Mix in 1 c. breadcrumbs.  Put mixture into individual casserole dishes & sprinkle remaining 1 c. breadcrumbs over tops.  Bake at 400 degrees F. until golden brown.  Yield: 4 servings.

Tomato-Crab Tortillas – Crab Recipe

Tomato-Crab Tortillas

8 oz. crab meat
2 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. lemon peel
1/4 cup cilantro
1 can chopped tomato
1/2 cup green onion
1 chopped jalapeno pepper
8 flour tortillas
5 tbsp. vegetable oil

Mix cheeses, cilantro, orange juice, lemon peel and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix crab meat, tomatoes, green onions and pepper in a large bowl.

Spread cheese mixture over tortillas and top with crab meat- vegetable mixture. Fold in half.

Heat oil, cook tortillas until slightly brown. Cut into wedges and serve.

Lump crabmeat crab cakes – easy recipe.

Simple Crab Cakes

2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/4 teaspoons Old Bay or Creole/Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, drained

Combine egg whites, mayonnaise, parsley, Creole seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and dry mustard. Gently stir in the bread crumbs and crabmeat. Shape mixture into 8 patties, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.

CRAB MEAT BROUSSARD

CRAB MEAT BROUSSARD
by Chef Gunter Preuss of Broussard’s

Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 6 jumbo shrimp, peeled, tail left  on, deveined; butterfly
- 1 oz. (2 tbsp.) olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 fresh artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup flour
-  1/4 cup white wine
-  2 cups chicken stock
-  1 cup heavy cream
-  3 oz. brie cheese
-  1/2 cup bread crumbs
-  3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. whole fresh thyme leaves
-  3/4 lb. jumbo lump crab meat

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the shrimp until they are just cooked. Set aside to cool. In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the yellow onion, artichoke hearts, and garlic over medium heat until the onion becomes limp.  Sprinkle in the flour and mix well while cooking for a minute more.  Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then add stock.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for three minutes.  Add the heavy cream and simmer for another five minutes. Take the brie and scrape off and discard the white skin; cut cheese into small pieces.  Add brie to the ream sauce and stir until all of the cheese is melted and mixed well.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, olive oil, and thyme.  Set aside.

After the cheese mixture is cool, gently fold in the crab meat, being careful not break up the lumps. To assemble, place one shrimp in the center of an oven proof serving dish so that it stands. Spoon the crab meat mixture around the shrimp and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. Arrange the dishes on a large baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for fifteen minutes, or until the crab mixture is hot and bubbly.

Serve immediately.
Serves 6.

• 1 stick butter
• 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup 
• 1 condensed milk 
• 1 pt. half and half 
• 1 tea. liquid crab boil
• 1 can of whole corn
• 1 white or claw crabmeat
• (you may also add  other seafood, i.e. boiled shrimp, oysters or crawfish tails) 

1. Cut green onions (using a sisscors is quickest). 
2. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large pot and add the cut onions – sautee. 
3. Add all other ingredients. 
4. Simmer for about 20 minutes and enjoy. 
5. You may choose to leave out the crab boil if your seafood was previously boiled in seasoning; however, I don’t suggest leaving it out of par-boiled seafood hence you miss out on the true flavor intended. 

Shrimp, Crab