Blue Crabs of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

The Chesapeake Bay located in Maryland and Virginia is famous for its blue crabs. The blue crab is important to Maryland as a natural resource and for tourism, it is also a valuable recreational species as well. Those who live in Bay Country have come to depend on the blue crab for food, income and fun. Each year several million pounds of blue crab are fished commercially by trapping or trawling. It is sold as the hard-shell variety and the familiar delicacy known as the soft-shelled crabs.

Over the years the harvest of the Maryland Blue Crabs has dropped and towards the end of the twentieth century the Maryland Department of Natural Resources created stricter guidelines for harvesting blue crabs to help increase the population due to concern that pressure on the blue crab - both commercial and recreational - may be too high.

"The crabs [from The Crab Place] were great and enjoyed by all. The only problem was that we did not have enough! I anticipate that we will order from you again. Thank you for the great service and wonderful crabs." -- Eileen H., Tennessee

The picked meat from the backfin area of the crab is used to make crab cakes, crab soup and other crab dishes. Crabs that are caught before the new shell has time to harden are called soft shell crabs. Blue crabs meat is high in Vitamin B12. Blue crabs average 15%edible meat. When crabbing for hard shell crabs, recreational crabbers may only use a piece of bait tied to a string while commercial watermen use crabpots or trotlines.

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. Jumbo Lump crab meat
* 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
* 2 tsp. olive oil
* 1 Tbsp. butter
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
* 1/2 tsp. fresh minced garlic
* 1/8 tsp. crushed dried tarragon
* pinch of cayenne pepper
* 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
* 6 saltine crackers, crushed fine
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
* 3/4 tsp. Hungarian paprika

Preparation Instructions:

Toss crab meat with the lemon juice, refrigerate. Saute onion with butter and olive oil over medium heat until barely limp, about one minute. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Mix together Old Bay, garlic, tarragon, cayenne pepper, mayonnaise, crackers, and beaten egg. Add the onions and mix well. Fold gently into the crab meat. Divide into 6 portions. Butter a baking dish that will fit your broiler. Roll the crab into 6 large balls, put on buttered dish 2" apart. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and flatten each ball a little. Sprinkle each one first with the cheese and then the paprika. Broil to toast the cheese a bit. Serve hot.

» Submitted by Gladys L. Hull, Salisbury, MD.

Cheese and Crab Meat are delicious together! crab meat already has a nice delicate buttery flavor and the cheese compliments it perfectly.



There are a couple ways to add cheese to crab meat, and they are:

- adding grated cheese on top of pre-made crab cakes and then baking in the oven until piping hot and golden brown
- adding fresh shredded cheese or powdered cheese to crab meat when making crab cakes
- adding shredded cheese to crab meat when making crab dip.

Makes 2 whopping Servings

½ pound blue crab back-fin or lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ cup powdered cheese, such as cheddar or parmesan
1 tablespoon finely chopped pimientos
4 crumbled no-salt saltine crackers (2 to go inside the cake, 2 to coat it)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons seafood seasoning
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
¼ cup vegetable oil, for frying
¼ cup prepared tartar sauce, for serving

In a medium bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, powdered cheese, pimiento, 2 of the crumbled crackers, salt, seafood seasoning, and parsley and mix well. Gently fold in the crab meat and form into 2 equal patties. Avoid over mixing. The patties will be fairly wet. Gently coat with the remaining 2 crumbled crackers on both sides.

Choose a skillet large enough to hold all the crab cakes. Coat the skillet with the vegetable oil and place it over medium-high heat. Fry the crab cakes until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Gently turn with a thin metal spatula. Serve immediately with tartar sauce for dipping!

With the compliments of The Crab Place

CrabPlace.com is committed to the environment and the Chesapeake Bay. They only sell domestic crab products, ensuring the highest quality, eco-friendly seafood. Shop The Crab Place.

* Ingredients:

* 1 pound lump crab meat
* 2 large cucumbers (diced)
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon tarragon
* 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
* 1 cup sour cream

Preparation Instructions:

Combine cucumbers, lemon juice, salt, paprika, tarragon and parsley in blender for 3 minutes. Add to 1 cup sour cream. Mix well; refrigerate for 20 minutes or until chilled. Place lump crab meat in cocktail dishes and chill until ready to serve, then pour dressing over crab dishes. Serves 4.

Home entertaining can and should be a very personal thing. Planning is the key to successful entertaining. Pick a theme along with appropriate food and a complementary color scheme.

* Ingredients:

* 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
* 6 ounces backfin crab meat
* 1/4 cup green onion slices
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 6 egg roll wrappers, cut into quarters
* 1 egg, beaten
* sweet and sour sauce

Preparation Instructions:

Combine cream cheese,crab meat, onions and garlic; mix well. Spoon 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto center of each egg roll quarter. Brush edges of each quarter with egg. Bring opposite corners of each quarter to center; twist top. Press edges to seal. Fry 2 minutes in deep hot oil (375 degrees), or until golden brown, turning over. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet and sour sauce, if desired. Makes 2 dozen.

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