Eastern Shore Crab Imperial Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, combine crab meat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, and beaten egg.. Mix thoroughly.
• In an 8" pie dish, spread mixture and lightly coat the entire dish with bread crumbs. Then sprinkle the top with paprika. Dot the dish with the butter.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat 6 large scallop shellswith nonstick cooking spray or, if you prefer, lightly coat a 6-cup au gratin pan or shallow casserole; set aside. Place the crab in a medium-size mixing bowl and set aside also.
• 2. Tear the bread into small chunks, letting them drop into a mini food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade. Using 3 to 4 brisk pulses, reduce to moderately coarse crumbs. Drizzle the melted butter over all and pulse 2 to 3 times to incorporate. The crumbs should now be moderately fine. Tip onto a piece of wax paper and reserve.
• 3. Add the parsley, salt, black pepper, and cayenne to the processor (no need to wash the bowl or blade), and pulse briskly 3 to 5 times until the parsley is coarsely chopped.
• 4. Add the mayonnaise and mustard and churn until smooth, about 5 seconds. Scoop on top of the crab and toss lightly to mix.
• 5. Mound the crab mixture in the scallop shells or spread evenly in the augratin dish, and scatter the buttered crumbs on top.
• 6. Bake uncovered on the middle oven rack until bubbling and touched with brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• 7. Serve at once, accompanying with a tartly dressed salad of greens. Roasted asparagus spears also make a delicious accompaniment.

Steps:

• Saute green pepper in butter until translucent, but not brown.
• Add to crabmeat, salt and pepper. Stir in mustard, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce. Put in buttered casserole. Top with bread crumbs, a few pats of butter, and sprinkle with crab boil seasoning. Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 375 degree F. oven.

Steps:

• For the Soft Shell Crab: Either preheat fryer, or a Dutch oven filled halfway with oil, to 250 degrees F. Clean crabs and cover with milk and buttermilk. Place in refrigerator until chilled, about 10 minutes. Mix together flours and seasonings. Remove crabs from milk and drain excess. Dip into seasoned flour and shake off excess. Carefully lower into preheated oil. Fry for approximately 3 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Remove from hot oil, drain, hold for final assembly.
• Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial:
• In a small saute pan, melt butter and whisk in flour to form a light roux. Cook roux briefly and stir in milk and cream. Keep stirring and bring to a boil. Add sherry, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, seafood seasoning and salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat, chill slightly, and fold in Maryland jumbo lump crabmeat, chives, parsley, and mayonnaise. Reserve for final assembly.
• Eastern Shore Sweet Corn Pudding: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cut kernels off of cob and scrape cob with the back of a knife to remove the "milk". Chop the cob into pieces. Heat butter in a saute pan and add shallots, garlic, corn, and cob. Saute briefly for 1 minute. Add seafood seasoning, sugar and salt and pepper, to taste and saute for an additional minute. Add cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture steep for a few minutes. Discard cob pieces and puree corn/crab mixture. Add 1/2 cup of heated mixture to the eggs and whisk continuously. Then whisk egg mixture back into heated liquid, also known as tempering. Strain and pour mix into 6 greased ramekins. Bake in preheated oven in a water bath until pudding sets, about 25 minutes. Remove from water and reserve warm for final assembly.
• Chesapeake Oyster Stew: Heat butter in a saucepan and add ham, corn kernels, shallot, garlic, and leek. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add vermouth and oyster liquor (or bottled clam juice). Reduce by half and add cream. Turn down heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Add seasonings and taste. Turn off heat and add oysters and herbs. Reserve for final assembly.
• Final Assembly: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Carefully lift the top shell off the soft shell crabs and stuff with Maryland Crab Imperial. Bake in preheated oven for a few minutes while completing the dish. Place warm Eastern Shore Sweet Corn Pudding in a shallow heated bowl. Ladle Chesapeake Oyster Stew in bowl around the pudding with 3 Chesapeake oysters per serving. Carefully place Maryland Soft Shell Crab on the pudding. Garnish with chives and corn shoots from your local Maryland farmers market, if using!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Melt butter in a heavy small saucepot over medium heat. Add shallot and stir until very lightly browned, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Blend in flour, white pepper and mace and stir 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add half-and-half, egg yolks, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and sherry and cook until thick and smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt, and gently fold crabmeat into sauce, being careful not to break up chunks.
• Fill either shells, oven-proof shells, ramekins, or small oven-proof bowls.
• Sprinkle tops with paprika.
• Place onto a cookie sheet and bake until mixture is bubbling, about 12 to 15 minutes, and serve immediately.