Best Christmas Eve Crab Sauce Recipes

ITALIAN BLUE CRAB SAUCE

Steps:

• Using a large stockpot, cover the bottom of the pot with the EVOO.
• Once heated, saute the garlic, crushed red pepper, parsley and basil.
• Add in crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add in the crab and simmer with the lid partially covered for several hours.
• Remove from heat and cool. Put back in refrigerator and allow to sit overnight.
• 1 hour before serving, take out and simmer again on the stove.
• Remove crabs to allow to cool. Serve sauce over spaghetti.
• Once the pasta course is complete, serve the whole crabs and pick out the meat. UNBELIEVABLE!

CHRISTMAS EVE CRAB SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Wash and clean and thoroughly drain shellfish. 2. Crush crabshell (only) and boil in 4 cups water for 2 hours. 3. Strain crabshell and keep all liquid. 4. Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil until transparent. Stir. 5. Add tomato puree and tomato paste. Sautee for few minutes. Stir. 6. Add 1 (15 oz can) water and 3 (6 oz) cans of water and the water left over from the crab shell. Stir. 7. Add salt and pepper to taste, parsley, oregano and bay leaf. Stir. 8. Bring to boil and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to bottom. 9. Add crab, shrimp and calamari and simmer for 2 minutes. Add basil. Stir. 10. Serve over thoroughly drained vermicelli. Make sure each dish gets a lot of shellfish on it. 11. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Will Serve 8 people.

OVEN-ROASTED CRAB "BUON NATALE"

Steps:

• Crack the crab reserving the juices and tomalley. Set aside.
• Make the tomalley sauce by pushing the tomalley through a sieve with a wooden spoon into a small pot. Add the chili flakes, thyme, garlic, and lemon juice. Mix in the reserved crab juices and bring to a quick simmer over low heat. Give it a final quick stir and remove the pan from the heat. Pour the tomalley mixture into a small mixing bowl and allow it to cool. (Start roasting the crab once the tomalley sauce is cooling.) As soon as the tomalley sauce feels lukewarm to the touch, add the mayonnaise or aioli along with the salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or thyme, if you like.
• Put a rack in the middle or lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• On the stove, in a large oven-proof saute pan or casserole, heat the butter, olive oil, garlic, thyme, and lemon zest over medium-high heat until hot. Add crab pieces and season with salt, pepper, to taste, and mix well. Put the pan in the oven and cook until the crab is hot throughout and the garlic is golden brown. (Watch carefully; the crab heats very quickly and at 500 degrees F the garlic can burn easily.) Remove the crab from the oven, drizzle with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and scatter the parsley over the top.
• To serve, stack the crab on a platter and drizzle with the tomalley sauce or serve the tomalley sauce in a small bowl and allow your guests to help themselves. Garnish the platter with lemon wedges and slices of garlic-rubbed toast. Serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI WITH CRABS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until it is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, crushing them by hand as you do so, as well as the parsley and red-pepper flakes. Stir and allow to come to a simmer.
• Turn the heat up to high and add the crabs. When the sauce starts to boil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes or so. Remove the crabs to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is firm - really al dente. Drain.
• Place the pasta in a large serving bowl or platter and drizzle with olive oil. Pour the crab sauce over the pasta, scatter the basil leaves over the top and season aggressively with black pepper. Serve with crabs on the side and lots of bread.