Best Crab In Shells Recipes

CREAMY SEAFOOD-STUFFED SHELLS

Creamy Seafood-Stuffed Shells image

Inspired by my love of lasagna, pasta shells and seafood, I created this recipe that's easy to make but special enough to serve company. I serve it with garlic bread and a salad. -Katie P. Sloan, Charlotte, North Carolina

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 1h10m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon finely chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup butter, divided
2 cans (6 ounces each) lump crabmeat, drained
1 package (5 ounces) frozen cooked salad shrimp, thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plus 4 cups 2% milk, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons seafood seasoning, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Cook pasta according to package directions. , Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute green pepper and onion in 1 teaspoon butter until tender; set aside., In a large bowl, combine crab, shrimp, egg, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, pepper and green pepper mixture., Preheat oven to 350°. Drain and rinse pasta; stuff each shell with 1 rounded tablespoon of seafood mixture. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. , In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and coarsely ground pepper; gradually whisk in remaining milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Parmesan cheese., Pour over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with remaining seafood seasoning. Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 448 calories, Fat 23g fat (11g saturated fat), Cholesterol 148mg cholesterol, Sodium 710mg sodium, Carbohydrate 31g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 29g protein.

SAUTEED SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH GARLIC AND BUTTER

Sauteed Soft-shell Crabs with Garlic and Butter image

Provided by Food Network

Categories appetizer

Time 32m

Yield 3 appetizer servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

3 soft-shell crabs, cleaned and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter
Few chive blades, chopped
Essence, for garnish, recipe follows
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Steps:

Season crabs with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and saute the crabs until soft, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the crabs and set aside. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the capers and white wine. Cook until wine has reduced to about 1/2. Swirl in the butter and the chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer crabs to a plate, spoon sauce over the crabs and garnish with Essence.
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

DEVILED CRABS

Deviled Crabs image

Deviled crabs are a quintessential Gullah dish similar to crab cakes. I like to serve them in cleaned crab shells for a pretty presentation. Ask your local fishmonger for the crab shells-they may sell them. Or, you can bake the deviled crab in small ovenproof dishes, too.

Provided by Kardea Brown

Categories appetizer

Time 1h10m

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, cut into large pieces
1 stalk celery, cut into large pieces
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more, melted, for brushing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 pounds blue crabmeat (lump or claw), picked over to remove any shells
3 cups crushed round buttery crackers, such as Ritz (from 2 sleeves or 64 crackers)
12 cleaned crab shells

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Pulse the onion, celery and red bell pepper in a food processor until minced. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced vegetables and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, sherry, seafood seasoning, mace and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the cooled vegetables. Fold in the crabmeat and cracker crumbs. Spoon about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the crab mixture into each crab shell and brush with melted butter. Place the crab shells on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

PAN-FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Pan-Fried Soft-Shell Crabs image

Ask your fishmonger to clean soft-shell crabs for you. Crabs should be cooked no more than six hours after they are cleaned.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Seafood Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
12 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
3 lemons, cut in half

Steps:

Whisk flour, salt, and pepper; place on a dinner plate. Dredge 2 soft-shell crabs in flour mixture, shaking off excess (make sure crabs are completely coated).
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium sautÃ© pan over medium-high heat. The oil should be very hot but not smoking. Place flour-coated crabs, back side down, in sautÃ© pan; reduce heat to medium if pan starts to smoke. SautÃ© crabs until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes (do not stand too close to pan; crabs tend to spatter during cooking). Turn crabs over, and cook 2 minutes more.
Add 1 tablespoon butter and a large pinch of parsley to skillet. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over crabs. Keep warm in a low oven. Repeat process until all the crabs are cooked.

CRAB STOCK

Crab Stock image

Provided by Jasper White

Yield Makes about 1 quart

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

2 pounds picked-over crab shells (cracked or chopped) and /or crab bodies (cut into 1-inch pieces, carapace discarded; see Cook's Notes), crab tomalley, and, if necessary, shrimp shells or lobster carcasses
2 quarts water
1 medium to large onion, coarsely chopped
1 to 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (tomato "guts" or canned or fresh)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 dried bay leaves
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher or sea salt

Steps:

1. Place the crab bodies, shells, and tomalley (and optional shrimp shells or lobster carcasses) in a 6- to 8-quart stockpot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil, skimming the white foam from the surface of the stock. (Using a ladle and a circular motion, push the foam from the center to the outside of the pot, where it is easy to remove.) Reduce the heat so the stock cooks at a fast, steady simmer.
2. Add the onion, celery, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and thyme, and let the stock simmer and cook down for about 1 hour. The liquid should just cover the crab shells as the stock cooks; if it doesn't, just add a little water.
3. Season the stock lightly with salt. Taste for a rich flavor; if it seems light, simmer for about 20 minutes longer.
4. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer. If you are not going to be using it within the hour, chill it as quickly as possible. Cover the broth after it has completely cooled and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.