Tag: crab recipes

Crab Artichoke Dip, Crab Toast great way to enjoy Dungeness

By Capt. Andy Martin – Strolling the Seattle Waterfront and Pikes Place Market after a recent fishery meeting in Seattle, my wife Sarah and I sized up several of the seafood restaurants on a busy spring evening, settling on an uncrowded fish and chip place that had a pretty extensive menu. Sarah ordered “Crab Toast” as we enjoyed a drink and waited for the fish dinner.

Crab Toast, a delicious combination of hot crab artichoke dip and a crab melt is a great way to enjoy Oregon Coast Dungeness crab.

Although the amount of crab in the “Crab Toast” was fairly meager, the appetizer was impressively good. A homemade artichoke dip, with fresh Dungeness crab, served on a slice of broiled bread. We both agreed we had to make that with fresh Oregon Coast crab when we got home. It was the perfect combination of a crab melt, and crab artichoke dip. It has since become one of our favorite ways to enjoy local Dungeness, especially when served with a generous amount of fresh crab.

The ingredients for hot crab artichoke dip make a meal visiting guests and family will be impressed with.

Crab melts, with a heaping of crab covered in cheese broiled for a few minutes have long been a preferred way to consume crab. Crab artichoke dips also have been a favorite treat as an appetizer. Serving the crab artichoke dip instead of just crab and cheese turns crab toast into a meal, and will surely impress dinner guests or visiting family, or just make a fairly simple meal with an amazing combination of flavors.

Capt. Andy and his wife Sarah enjoying the Seattle Waterfront, where they sampled Crab Toast on a menu of a seafood restaurant near Pike’s Place Market.
Capt. Sam Stover hoists a pot full of Dungeness crab aboard the charter boat Nauti-Lady, one of five boats in the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.

We usually make crab toast as a dinner meal, and save the leftover crab artichoke dip for a snack with crackers the next day. Visitors also love leaving with a container of crab artichoke dip to take home.

After making hot crab artichoke dip, simply cover a slice of bread (we usually use sliced French or sourdough) and broil for a few minutes. Served with a green salad or pasta dish, you have an exquisite meal that is actually a lot simpler to make than it appears. We like a combination of Monterey jack and Parmesan cheese, but white cheddar and mozzarella also work well with this recipe. Canned artichoke hearts packed in water are best for this recipe, not the marinated artichoke hearts purchased in a jar.

Chop the canned artichokes before adding them to the dip.
Artichoke hearts and fresh crab are the key ingredients for crab toast.
Crab artichoke dip before it is baked. Fresh Dungeness is considerably better than canned lump crab.
Ready for the oven. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
Hot-from-the-oven artichoke crab dip.
Crab toast ready for the broiler.
A few minutes under the broiler and crab toast is ready to enjoy.
Crab Toast!
Sarah Martin enjoying the Seattle Waterfront, where visitors can experience some of the best Northwest seafood.

Crab Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

1 cup shelled crab meat

1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts, chopped

2 green onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

squeeze of lemon

Parsley, finely chopped for garnish

Directions

While the oven is preheating at 425 degrees, stir together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the Monterey jack cheese, artichoke hearts, garlic, crabmeat, Worcestershire sauce ands green onion in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add a squeeze of lemon.

Place the mixture in a baking dish, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of Monterey jack cheese to the top. Garnish with parsely.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

The artichoke crab dip is ready to be enjoyed hot out of the oven. For crab toast, spread the dip over sliced bread, and broil for 1 to 3 minutes.

To catch local Dungeness crab, book a fishing charter with Brookings Fishing Charters. Learn more at www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.

Nauti-Lady deckhand Eric with a pot full of Dungeness crab. www.brookingsfishing.com,

Crab Mac and Cheese delicious way to enjoy Oregon Coast Dungeness

By Capt. Andy Martin – Fresh Dungeness crab is one of the most delicious treats of the Oregon Coast, great eaten as quickly as you can crack it, served with a green salad, prepared in Cioppino or made into tacos. One of our favorite ways to enjoy crab, however, is baked with homemade macaroni and cheese. Crab Mac and Cheese is rich and creamy, comfort food at its best. Served as a side with fish and chips, or part of a more elegant meal, we enjoy Crab Mac and Cheese frequently at our home, especially when family or grandkids are visiting.

Crab Mac and Cheese is a delicious way to enjoy fresh Dungeness from the Oregon Coast.

My wife, Sarah, uses a variety of cheeses when preparing Crab Mac and Cheese – sharp cheddar, jack, parmesan, mozzarella, Velveeta, and cream cheese. The variety ads to the flavor. Traditional homemade mac and cheese often excludes the Velveeta and cream cheese, using butter instead, but our family prefers the broad range of cheeses. We also often add bacon or diced ham, making the Crab Mac and Cheese a meal in itself.

Crab Mac and Cheese is versatile and can include different seasonings, such as creole seasoning or Old Bay, or sauteed vegetables, such as bell peppers, zucchini, onion or mushrooms.

Capt. Chris Cooke pulls a pot of Dungeness crab onto the Nauti-Lady.

Start by boiling the crab, and removing meat from the shells and setting aside. Lump crab from the grocery store will work, but freshly caught crab is so much better. In fact, we’ve found preparing a few large batches of Crab Mac and Cheese, dividing into several containers, and then freezing is a good way to preserve crab to enjoy later. We often pull a serving out of the freezer when family visits to serve with fresh fish and chips.

A variety of cheeses, such as cheddar, jack and mozzarella, plus Velveeta and cream cheese, will make Crab Mac and Cheese extra creamy and rich.
Combine the cheeses and macaroni in a large pot. Heat over medium heat until well combined.
Fresh crab turns homemade macaroni and cheese into gourmet version of a family favorite.
Sprinkle with breadcrumbs before baking.
Crab Mac and Cheese, one of the best ways to enjoy fresh Oregon Coast Dungeness.
Crab Mac and Cheese served with a garden salad.

Homemade Crab Mac and Cheese is simple and easy. Our recipe doesn’t have to be followed precisely. Use whatever variety of cheeses you prefer, and the amount you like. Two cups of cheese is a good starting point for a 16-ounce package of macaroni. If you don’t want to use cream cheese or Velveeta, add a little more milk, and a half cube of melted butter. Season to taste.

Crab Mac and Cheese

16 ounces macaroni or other pasta, cooked to directions, drained, set aside

1 cup cooked, shelled crab meat (or more if desired)

2 cups shredded cheese (mixture of cheddar, mozzarella, jack, pepperjack, parmesan)

1/2 cup Velveeta cheese

4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 stick)

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tbs green onion, sliced

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking dish with cooking spray.

Boil pasta as directed, drain, set aside

In a large pot, combine cheeses, milk, sour cream, Velveeta, cream cheese, seasonings, green onion and crab. Heat over medium heat until well combined, stirring constantly. Add cooked pasta, stir well.

Transfer the pasta, cheese and crab mixture to the baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs, bake for 15 minutes.

A customer on the Nauti-Lady with a pot full of crab.
Crab caught aboard a charter boat with Brookings Fishing Charters.

To book a fishing and crab combo, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.