There are lots of easy, delicious crab recipes you can make at home. However, before you go shopping, it’s helpful to know something about the varieties of crab meat you may find, so you don’t pay too much for the crab recipe you are making. Check current prices for canned crab meat on Amazon.
We are going to talk about two basic kinds of shelled crab we find in our local US grocery stores.
- Pasteurized, refrigerated crab, that is generally labelled according to it’s ‘grade’ of crab meat. In the U.S., we find them in the fresh seafood section of the grocery store.
- Canned crab, which can include variety of ingredients, including some preservatives. We find them in the grocery store with the cans of tuna, sardines and oysters.
Types of Crab Meat
Of these two basic kinds of shelled crab meat you can find, there are four types we frequently encounter in either the refrigerated or canned forms:
- Jumbo or Colossal lump crab. Buck would call this the ‘fancy pants’ of the crab meats. It’s whole pieces of large blue crab’s muscles, and has a yummy delicate flavor. Expect to pay top dollar for this kind of crab. This is reserved for SPECIAL occasions. Folks choose this meat for crab cocktail , crab sauté or crab louis recipes where the large crab pieces can be appreciated.
- Lump (or backfin) crab meat. This grade of crab is great for a variety of dishes where you want the delicate crab taste to shine through. The difference between lump or backfin crab is just the size of the pieces; lump is bigger pieces. Both have the same great crab taste. Besides using for PART of SPECIAL crab cakes, this type of crab is ideal for a crab omelet or Crab Benedict.
- Claw crab meat. It’s some of the cheapest graded crab that you can find in the US. It will be more brown and oiler, than white crab meat. It is also more flavorful, and I actually prefer it in many recipes where I want the crab taste to stand up to other ingredients – like in any kind of seafood soups/bisques, or salads. Also, I use this meat in crab cakes when I’ll be adding green peppers, horseradish or other strong flavors. Since we’re talking about crab cakes, when I want to treat Chef Buck and myself, I mix fresh claw crab meat with lump crab.
- Special or white crab meat. This is not to be confused with the crab meat’s color. Most natural ‘white’ crab meat is more of an off-white or ivory color. You get a good crab flavor and color in pieces about the size of shredded canned tuna.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive. In fact, there are two types of readily available crab that ARE NOT included in this list: truly fresh crab that you can buy from your local seafood shop or fisherman, and also NOT included in this list is imitation crab which, just like it sounds, isn’t really crab.
More Tips For Choosing Perfect Crab Meat For Your Recipe
Canned crab meat. There are MANY brands of canned crab that represent a vast variety of flavors and textures. Many are perfectly great for making some crab dishes. Besides the checking the basics such as sale by date, texture, smell, it’s still a bit of trial and error to identify brands that work for your particular recipes. That just means to ‘test before you guest’; stick to a canned brand that you know, when guests are coming over, rather than using a ‘mystery’ can. Also, buying smaller cans of crab less than 16oz often yields better quality. Check current prices for canned crab meat on Amazon.
Some folks think that canned crab is too salty. One way to freshen canned crab a bit is to drain it. Then soak it in ice water for 10 minutes, drain it again and pat it dry.
Net weight vs Dry weight. Especially for canned crab, you will often find a net weight vs a dry weight. Unless otherwise specified, your recipe is talking about the dry weight of the can, the weight AFTER you drain the brine.
Crab is high in protein, and can be a quick-fix dish. The ‘graded’ forms of crab meat come from the crab muscles, legs and claws. Other ‘ungraded’ crab meat can also include ‘brown’ crab meat that is found near the crab’s top shell. The ‘brown’/top shell meat is high is omega-3s, a smoother texture and stronger flavor. The white is a ‘cleaner’ flavor and has a firmer texture.
Crab Cake Recipe
Crab cakes are one of our favorite crab dishes to prepare, but remember, when forming crab cakes, DON’T overmix and DON’T overpack the cakes; you’re making delicate crab cakes, not denser salmon cakes or hamburgers.
Ingredients for Crab Cakes
16-18oz CRAB MEAT, picked over gently to assure no shells remain. We like to use a mix of refrigerated CLAW crab meat and canned crab.
3 Tbsp PORK RINDS, finely crushed
1 large EGG, beaten
½ cup MAYONNAISE
1 tablespoon DIJON MUSTARD
1 tablespoon WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
1⁄8 teaspoon fresh ground BLACK PEPPER
¼ cup OIL for cooking
Lemon wedges, for serving
How to Make Crab Cakes
In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add mayo, mustard, Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Mix in crushed pork rinds. Gently fold drained crabmeat into mixture.
Gently fold drained crabmeat into mixture. Check current prices for canned crab meat on Amazon.
Cover and refrigerate the mix for at least 1 hour, and can even be refrigerated overnight.
When ready to cook, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Gently form cakes into patties about 1½” thick using approximately ⅓ cup of crab mixture for each patty.
Add the crab cakes to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until golden and heated through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Use a large enough skillet to allow room to turn the cakes. Turn the cakes gently with a sturdy spatula, and let the cakes set before you turn them; if you try to turn them too soon, they are more likely to fall apart.
Serve crab cakes with your favorite sauce or dressing, or just lemon wedges. We often keep crab cake meals light, and will accompany them with a light salad or side of coleslaw.
For another seafood dish with crab, check out this Authentic New Orleans Seafood Gumbo Recipe.
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