Best Chesapeake Crab Boil Recipes

OLD BAY® SEAFOOD BOIL

Steps:

• Fill a very large stockpot fitted with a basket insert with about 8 quarts of water, or about halfway full. Squeeze lemons into the water, tossing the halves in too. Add onions, chiles, thyme, garlic, 1 2/3 cup seafood seasoning, 6 teaspoons kosher salt, and bay leaves; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir potatoes into the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Next, add the sausage and corn; cook another 5 minutes, making sure everything stays covered with the liquid. Add the clams and boil until they open, about 8 minutes. Toss in the shrimp and shut off the heat. Cover the pot and let the shrimp steep in the flavor for 10 minutes, adding the crab in the last 5 minutes (press them into the liquid).
• Drain and spread the crab, shrimp, sausage, clams, corn, potatoes, and onions out on a newspaper-covered table or on 3 large serving trays. Sprinkle with a dusting of Old Bay® or provide for individual use.

CHESAPEAKE BAY BLUE CRAB HOT POT

Steps:

• In a heavy-gauged pot on medium to high heat add the grapeseed oil. When a light haze rises from the pan, add all of the crab. The blue crabs contain water so you must cook them until this liquid has evaporated. Then add the butter. Allow the milk solids to fall and when the butter stops foaming add the vegetables and cook until translucent. Add the coriander seed and brown lightly. Add the tomato paste and chopped tomato and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up any bits sticking to the pan. Add the water and chicken stock. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the bay leaf and thyme cook an additional 10 minutes. Press the whole mixture into a strainer. The broth should have small pieces of the vegetables from the cooking of the crab. Check and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide evenly and garnish each with some of the crab, pickled ramps, sauteed shiitakes and creme fraiche.
• Combine the sugar, vinegar, and water and bring to a boil. Add the mustard, coriander, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Blanch and shock ramps, strain, and pour the warm pickling liquid over the ramps. Let cool and store for 3 days before using.

CHESAPEAKE BAY CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add onion and carrot and cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes with their liquid; break up tomatoes.
• Add chicken broth, water, clam juice, wine, potato, Worcestershire sauce and Old Bay Seasoning.
• Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
• Add peas to soup and simmer 2 minutes.
• Add crabmeat, parsley and hot pepper sauce.
• Simmer until crabmeat is heated through, about 1 minute.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve.

CAROLINA CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• In a stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown sausage. Stir in broth, water, beer, seafood seasoning and bay leaves. Add vegetables; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender., Add crab; heat through. Drain; remove bay leaves. Transfer to a serving bowl; season with pepper.

THE FAMOUS SEAFOOD SEASONING RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix the salt, celery seed, dry mustard powder, red pepper, black pepper, bay leaves, paprika, cloves, allspice, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon together in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Store in an airtight container.

ULTIMATE CRAB BOIL

Steps:

• When we have a small catch we usually will steam the crabs instead of boiling - this would simply mean you place the vinegar in the bottom of the pot and add 2 - 3 cups of water just to get a steam going - the vinegar helps the crab meat come out of the shell easier. Steam for approximately 27 minutes.
• If you were boiling, you would just add all the ingredients to the pot adding enough water to cover the crabs- bring to a boil and throw in the live crabs. Cook for 12 minutes, drain and allow to rest before devouring.
• The ingredients that are listed below the bay leaves are all done to taste, using anywhere between 1/4 tsp to 1 tablespoons.

CHESAPEAKE CRAB DIP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°; in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, seafood seasoning and garlic salt. Fold in crab. Transfer to a greased 9-in. pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika., Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with crackers. Refrigerate leftovers.

CHESAPEAKE CRAB BALLS

Steps:

• Remove all excess shell from crabmeat
• In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, butter, green onions, old bay seasoning and horseradish. while mixing gradually add crabmeat. Divide mixture into two balls.
• Refrigerate the balls for at least one hour.
• On a piece of waxed paper, mix the parsley and old bay seasoning.
• Remove crab balls from the refrigerator and roll them on the wax paper until they are completely coated.