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How to Remove Muffins Stuck in the Pan

Sweet Treats

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February 5, 2020

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Things You\’ll Need

Wet towel
Paring knife

Muffins are great hot or cold.

Eating freshly baked muffins is one of the simple pleasures in life. This pleasure can be short-lived if your baked treats have become stuck to the muffin pans. There are techniques that can prevent muffins from sticking, but these are of little assistance if sticking has already occurred. If your muffins are presently not coming out of their pans, all is not lost. Before you throw out the entire batch and start all over, try some simple steps to help salvage all of your hard work.

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Step 1

Place the hot muffin pan on a wet towel for a few minutes.

Step 2

Place your paring knife between each muffin and the surrounding pan to gently loosen them from all sides.

Step 3

Remove the muffins one by one as you loosen them from the pan or turn the entire tray of muffins out onto a large platter.

Tip

Oil your muffin tin well before adding the batter to prevent sticking.

Allow the muffins to cool at least five minutes before removing them from the pan.

10 Baking Hacks You\’ll Wish You Knew Sooner

Food Hacks

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February 5, 2020

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$10 Baking Hacks You\’ll Wish You Knew Sooner$

There's little that flour, butter and sugar can't solve, so many of us gravitate to baking for comfort and stress relief. Anyone can follow the directions on the back of a box of cake mix. It's time to elevate your game in the kitchen with a few simple baking tricks that lead to delicious results.

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1. Boost Flavor With Milk Powder

From cakes to cookies and even breads, most baked goods can be improved with the addition of just a little powdered milk. This secret weapon adds silkiness and depth of flavor to a recipe without adding extra liquid. Add just a tablespoon of the powder to your other dry ingredients before mixing them with wet ingredients.

2. Make Your Own Cookie Cutters

Why waste money on customized cookie cutters when you can make your own at home? The thin aluminum of a soda can is just flexible enough for you to manipulate into a shape. Wearing safety gloves, use sharp shears to cut the top and bottom off the can and then wash the metal well. Cut down the side of the can to make a rectangle and then cut that in half to create two metal strips. Crimp the edges together to make one long strip. Bend down the sharp edges of the metal and form the long strip into your desired shape.

3. Rescue Hardened Brown Sugar

Brown sugar has an unfortunate tendency to turn into hardened sugar rocks, which may be delicious but aren't great for baking. If you're going to accurately measure it and make sure the sugar is evenly distributed throughout the recipe, you have to soften it first. There's a super easy fix. Put brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl and place a damp paper towel on top. Microwave the bowl for 20 seconds. Break up the sugar with a fork and repeat if necessary.

4. Create a Makeshift Bundt Pan

No Bundt pan? No problem. Make that ring cake recipe you've been eyeing using a round cake pan and a clean soup can. Butter the cake pan and the outside of the can and place the can in the middle of the pan. Fill the can with dried beans or rice to weigh it down and keep it in place. Carefully pour your batter around the can and bake as directed. Remove the can before cutting and serving your cake.

5. Grate Butter for a Flaky Crust

The key to a flaky pie crust is leaving chunks of cold butter in the dough, so mixing it by hand tends to overwork the butter and warm it up too much. Next time, try grating the butter on the largest holes on your box grater. Collect the shreds in a bowl and stick it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then, mix the grated butter into your dry ingredients. The dough will come together with minimal work and should be threaded with strands of frozen butter.

6. Make Your Own Powdered Sugar

When all you're missing for a recipe is powdered sugar, don't bother making a special trip to the store. Make a substitute in your blender or food processor. To make 1 cup of powdered sugar, combine 1 cup of regular white sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Cover the top of the blender or food processor with a dish towel and then pulse the mixture until it's powder. (The towel will help keep the powder from getting everywhere.)

7. Use Pudding as a Secret Weapon

Like milk powder, pudding mix adds extra creaminess and flavor to any number of baked goods. Keep pudding mix on hand to stir into boxed cake mix or add a small envelope of instant butterscotch pudding to a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Pudding mix can also be used to make buttercream frosting even more decadent and fluffy. In this case, you'll want to mix the pudding with milk before beating it into the frosting.

8. Rise Dough With a Heating Pad

Cold days tend to be when we crave homemade bread the most, but the colder the kitchen, the harder it is to get dough to rise. Give your dough a cozy, warm place to rest by setting it on top of a heating pad set to low. Cover the pad with a dish towel, set the bowl on top and cover the dough with a second dish towel.

9. Coat Pans With Release Paste

You can coat a cake pan with cooking spray or rub it with softened butter, but your cake may still leave behind a layer of delicious crumbs when you slide it out of the pan. That can make cake frosting and pan cleanup more difficult. Try coating pans with a paste made with equal parts of flour, vegetable oil and shortening. The paste won't affect the flavor of food and should allow anything you bake to slide right out of its pan with no crumb residue.

10. Coat Pans With Cocoa Powder

When you're baking something rich and chocolate like brownies, try cocoa powder as an alternative to pan-release paste. Coat the pan with butter and shake cocoa powder all around the pan to cover the butter. It should help your brownies slide out of the pan, and if some crumbs remain in the pan, it's a small price to pay for an extra-chocolatey crust.

How to Make Chocolate Macarons

Sweet Treats

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February 5, 2020

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Delight one and all by creating gorgeous, delicious and sophisticated-looking chocolate macarons. Two crisp, sweet and chewy chocolate and almond meringue shells are filled with an easy and rich dark chocolate ganache. Neither challenging nor time-consuming, this is a foolproof classic French macaron recipe that will easily yield perfect and professional chocolate macaron results every time!

These delightful macarons make a perfect treat. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

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Things You\’ll Need

8.1 ounces / 230 grams powdered sugar
4.1 ounces / 115 grams ground almond meal
0.7 ounces / 20 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder
5.1 ounces / 145 grams egg whites
2.5 ounces / 70 grams superfine sugar
4 ounces / 115 grams bittersweet dark chocolate, finely chopped
4 ounces / 115 milliliters heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Step 1: Measure and Weigh Ingredients

Macarons are notoriously precise. Measure and weigh out all of your ingredients beforehand for the best results.

Measure and weigh all the ingredients. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 2: Prepare the Baking Trays

Begin by lining three baking trays with either baking parchment or silicone macaron slip-mats, if accessible.

Prepare a baking tray with either baking parchment or a silicone macaron slip-mat, Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 3: Process the Dry Ingredients

Place the powdered sugar, almond meal and cocoa powder in the bowl of a food processor, and mix to form a finely textured crumb, roughly 1 minute. Set this mixture aside.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Image Credit: Thalia Ho Process the mixture to form a fine textured crumb. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 4: Whisk the Egg Whites

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a handheld electric whisk, whisk the egg whites on low speed until they become frothy.

Whisk the egg whites until frothy. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Once the egg whites have become frothy, increase the mixer speed to medium, and continue to combine until they start to form soft peaks, roughly 2 to 3 minutes.

Work the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 5: Add the Sugar

Add in the superfine sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and continue to mix on high speed until stiff, glossy, meringue-like peaks form, roughly 4 to 5 minutes. Set this meringue mixture aside.

The egg whites will be thick, stiff and glossy. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 6: Sift the Dry Ingredients

To ensure that no lumps remain, sift the dry ingredients from Step 3 into a large sized bowl.

Sift the dry ingredients. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 7: Fold the Mixtures Together

With a spatula, fold about 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the sifted dry ingredients to moisten and loosen it. Then, in two stages, gently fold in about half of the remaining whites at a time. When properly combined, the batter will be thick and leave a "ribbon trail" when gently stirred.

Fold the two mixtures together. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Tip

A useful way to test if the mixture is properly combined is if it flows like lava off the back of the spatula if you raise the spatula above the bowl.

Step 8: Pipe Macaron-Shaped Circles

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag, twist the top and then cut a 1/2-inch / 1.3-centimeter incision in its tip. Alternatively, you could use a plastic zip-top bag with a corner cut out to pipe out the mixture.

Add the batter to a piping bag. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Holding the piping bag vertically above one of the parchment-lined baking trays, or directly onto the silicone macaron slip-mat, pipe out 1 1/2-inch / 3.5-centimeter macaron-shaped rounds. Repeat with the remaining trays.

Pipe the macarons onto the baking parchment or silicone macaron slip-mat. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 9: Let the Macarons Sit

Let the macarons sit and rest on the trays to form a skin. This is a crucial process that will take 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the humidity in your kitchen.

Let the macarons sit on the tray to form a skin. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Tip

The skin will be formed when you can gingerly touch the tops of the macarons without having batter stick to your finger.

Step 10: Make the Chocolate Ganache Filling

While the macarons are forming a skin, make the chocolate ganache filling. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, bring the cream to a light rolling boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and let it sit to acclimatize for 1 minute. Add in the butter and gently stir until smooth. Place the ganache in the refrigerator, and chill until it is thick and spreadable, about 30 minutes.

Combine chocolate, cream and butter until smooth. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 11: Bake the Macarons

When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 280 F / 140 C. Bake the macarons one sheet at a time for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through to ensure even baking. The macaron shells will be done when their tops feel firm but the bottoms remain slightly soft. Let the macarons rest on their trays for 30 minutes before sliding the shells off the baking parchment or slip-mat to cool completely.

Cool the macaron shells completely. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 12: Fill the Macarons

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place each macaron shell with its same-sized partner on the tray flipped over.

Place each macaron with its same-sized partner. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Spoon or pipe the desired amount of chocolate ganache filling onto the flat side of one macaron shell and sandwich it with its partner, gently twisting the top of the macaron until the filling spreads to the edges. Repeat with the remaining macarons.

Pipe the chocolate ganache onto the flat side of a macaron shell. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 13: Let the Macarons Chill

Cover the sandwiched macarons with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. For optimal texture and taste, store the macarons in a refrigerator for up to 1 day before serving.

Chill the macarons. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Step 14: Serve

You can store the macarons for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Remove them 30 minutes before serving.

Remove the macarons from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

Fruit Fresh Alternatives

Veggie Faves

Mary Johnson-Gerard, Ph.D.

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February 4, 2020

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Keeping fresh cut fruit from turning dark is possible by using naturally occuring inhibitors.

Many people today are interested in natural products that taste good, are healthy and economical. Keeping fresh fruit pretty after it is cut is a challenge. When fresh fruit is cut, it loses water. This loss of water starts the growth of fungi and molds that accelerate the spoiling process. This process causes the cut fruit to turn brown and unattractive. There are commercial products that slow this process such as Fruit Fresh, but for those who are into natural, healthy eating, the amount of sugar in this product is a problem.

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Vitamin C Tablets

One alternative to using a commercial product to retard the spoiling process of fresh cut fruit is to use vitamin C tablets. To make an effective vitamin C solution to prevent browning, crush four 500 mg tablets of vitamin C and dissolve the powder in enough water to completely coat or cover the amount of cut fruit you plan to prepare. Vitamin C is readily available in grocery and drug stores.

Natural Sulfur

Naturally occurring sulfur has the potential to prohibit the browning that happens when fresh fruit is cut. The "Journal of Food Science" published a report indicating that natural sulfur is effective in prohibiting the browning of cut fruit for up to 14 days. This is a much longer time than other natural options. Persons, who need to prohibit the spoiling process of cut fresh fruit for an extended period of time, may want to consider using natural sulfur as an alternative to commercial products.

Chili Pepper

Chili pepper is very high in vitamin C and is thus highly effective in reducing or completely eliminating the browning that occurs when fresh fruit is cut. Dipping cut fruit into a solution of ground chili pepper and water will prevent browning. The proportion of chili pepper to water is dependent upon how much fruit is being cut for preservation.

Fruit Juices

Placing fresh cut fruit onto a wash of the juice from other fruit high in vitamin C is another way to inhibit fresh fruit from turning brown. Mixing fresh cut fruit with orange or pineapple juice or bottled lemon and lime juices keeps fresh fruit clear from darkening.

Fresh Fruit

Mixing fresh fruits that discolor after cutting, such as apples, bananas and pears, with other fruits high in vitamin C is an effective way to keep the fruit from discoloring. Making a fresh fruit salad which includes fresh orange and pineapple slices works effectively because of the high amount of ascorbic acid in these fruits.

Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters Recipe

drinks-cocktails

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February 4, 2020

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These Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters serve as both a drink and as an hors d'oeuvre, though they're technically more of a beverage. In addition to being a tasty delicacy, oysters are probably one of the most well-known aphrodisiacs — a perfect drink for Valentine's Day or an anniversary. (Insert wink here.) Scientists have found that oysters contain certain rare amino acids that trigger production of sex hormones. Ready to put science to the test?

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Things You\’ll Need

Fresh oysters, (6)
1/2 cup tomato juice or vegetable juice
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (approximately 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon horseradish (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon celery salt (or to taste)
A few shakes of Tabasco sauce
2 to 3 shots good quality vodka
2.25 or 2.5 ounce shooter glasses, (6)
Oyster shucking knife
Dish towel

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients and Tools

The key to a good oyster shooter is to use the freshest oysters available. If possible, purchase them on the same day you plan to serve them. Good quality vodka (mid-range, nothing too pricey) will also improve the flavor of the drink. If you don't have an oyster shucking knife, a clean, flat-head screw driver or firm butter knife should also do the trick.

Step 2: Clean the Oysters

Fresh oysters usually have very dirty shells, so make sure to rinse and scrub them well before shucking. This can be done either in a colander or directly in the sink.

Tip

If you would prefer to skip shucking the oysters altogether, ask your local fishmonger if it's possible to have the oysters shucked when you purchase them.

Step 3: Shuck the Oysters

Here's a short video that demonstrates how to easily shuck an oyster.

Warning

While more experienced chefs can get away with skipping the dish towel, I highly recommend using one to protect your hand.

Step 4: Place One Oyster in Each Shooter Glass

Make sure that no pieces of shell have made their way into the oysters. If necessary, give the oysters a quick rinse. If not, add a bit of the juice from the shell to each glass. It will add a great flavor to the drink. If you don't have or wish to purchase shooter glasses, you can also get creative with martini or cordial glasses.

Step 5: Combine the Remaining Ingredients in a Liquid Measuring Cup

Stir together the tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, celery salt, Tabasco salt, and vodka.

Step 6: Pour and Serve

Divide the Bloody Mary mixture evenly between the 6 shooter glasses. Enjoy!

How to Make Champagne Jello Shots

drinks-cocktails

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February 4, 2020

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A New Year's Eve celebration simply isn't complete without a bottle of bubbly. And if you want to impress your guests, why not serve it in more than one way? With this recipe, you can give a fancy spin to the usual jello shot treat. You can even use star cookie cutters to make festive shapes. Here's how to make champagne jello shots, just in time for the new year.

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Things You\’ll Need

2 cups water (1 cup room temperature and 1 cup cold)
4 packets unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups extra dry champagne
1 1/4 cups club soda, flavored seltzer, or ginger ale

Tip

To avoid foam and bubbles on top of your jello shots, use flat champagne.

Step 1

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.

As the water reaches a boil, combine the gelatin and remaining 1 cup cold water in a large stainless steel bowl. Mix and let sit for 1 minute.

Step 2

Add 1 cup boiling water and mix well. Stir in the sugar and mix until dissolved.

Step 3

Add the champagne and club soda. Mix well.

You can skim off the foam or bubbles with a measuring cup.

Tip

Work quickly! The gelatin won't take long to solidify. If this happens, you can warm it over a double broiler. To make one, fill 1/3 of a small pot with water. Place the bowl on top of the pot, making sure the bottom doesn't touch the water. Bring the water to a boil. As the bowl warms up, continuously stir the mixture until it is liquid again.

Step 4

Pour the mixture into a container or multiple containers. For this batch, we poured the entire mixture into a 9×13-inch dish.

Step 5

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until set.

Before serving, slice into cubes and garnish with edible glitter or sprinkles. Place them on a dish or in small bowls.

You can even serve them in champagne glasses! This way, your guests will have glasses on hand before the clock strikes 12.

While this recipe calls for five ingredients, there's still room for customization.

Stick with club soda if you want a light champagne taste. If you want extra flavor, use flavored seltzer, ginger ale, or cream soda. And remember, you can use small cookie cutters to make fun and festive shapes. Happy New Year!

Vegan Gravy Recipe

Veggie Faves

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February 3, 2020

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This holiday season, serve gravy everyone can enjoy with this easy vegan recipe. Made with mushroom broth and festive spices, this vegan-friendly sauce is both delicious and simple. Plus, compared to the stuff from the jar, it uses more fresh ingredients. Enjoy it with mashed potatoes, vegan "sausage" or biscuits.

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Things You\’ll Need

4 tablespoons vegan butter, coconut oil or olive oil
1/3 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon minced jarred garlic)
3 cups mushroom broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose or cassava flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Step 1

In a medium skillet, melt the butter or coconut oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook for 7 to 9 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Step 2

Slowly add the flour. Mix until it coats the onions and mushrooms, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Add the soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce and spices. Toss until the vegetables are fully coated.

Step 4

Slowly add the mushroom broth. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

Step 5

Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until thick. Let cool slightly, taste and adjust the ingredients as necessary.

If you like chunky gravy, you can enjoy it as is. Another option is to blend the gravy in a food processor until smooth.

As the gravy cools, it will thicken up. You might need to thin it with extra mushroom broth, especially after storing it in the refrigerator. Simply reheat over low heat in a saucepan until warm.

How to Make Scuppernong Wine

drinks-cocktails

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February 2, 2020

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Things You\’ll Need

3 gallons scuppernong grapes
Large bowl
Potato masher (optional)
5-gallon crock or jar
Water
1 package red-wine yeast
Cheesecloth
String or large rubber band
Ladle
Wire mesh strainer
Sugar – 3 lbs. for every 1 gallon of juice
1/4 inch food grade tubing
Wine bottles or jars with lids

Scuppernong grapes are also known as fox grapes and are similar to muscadines. Found along the Scuppernong River in southern Appalachia, the grapes make a simple homemade wine with a fruity taste. For generations the people of Appalachia have used scuppernong grapes to make wine every fall. Today, you can buy scuppernong wine at package and liquor stores, but if you can find the grapes, it is very easy to make at home.

Step 1

Mash the grapes in a large bowl using your hands or a potato masher. Make sure that the skin on every grape is broken. This can be done in batches if you do not have a bowl large enough to hold all the grapes at one time.

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Step 2

Place the mashed grapes, along with their liquid, into a 5-gallon crock.

Step 3

Cover with water. Add only enough water to allow the grapes to float slightly. Too much water will create a weak-flavored wine.

Step 4

Cover the crock with cheesecloth and secure the cloth with string or a large rubber band. This will keep dust, dirt, fruit flies or other bugs out of the wine.

Step 5

Let the grapes ferment for 9 days.

Step 6

Use a ladle to scoop the grapes and juice from the crock and strain the juice though a wire strainer to remove the pulp.

Step 7

Put the juice back into the crock and add 3 lbs. of sugar for every gallon of juice.

Step 8

Add the red-wine yeast to the juice.

Step 9

Cover the crock with cheesecloth and let ferment for at least 10 days. After 10 days, check to see if the bubbling has stopped. If so, continue to the next step; if not let the wine ferment another 5 days. The longer you let the wine ferment, the better the fruity taste will be. It is not uncommon for the wine to ferment 30 to 60 days before being bottled.

Step 10

Siphon the wine from the crock into bottles using the food grade tubing.

Step 11

Lightly cap the bottles, as the wine will continue to ferment slightly for at least another month.

Step 12

Leave the bottles lightly capped for 3 months. After that, the lids can be securely tightened.

Tip

Red-wine yeast is available at any brew shop that you can purchase wine or beer making supplies. Scuppernong grapes usually ripen in Appalachia in mid-September. You can use this recipe with any type of wild grapes, including muscadines.

Warning

If you cap the bottles tightly too soon, the continuing fermentation could cause them to explode. After 3 months, this generally is no longer a problem.

Eggnog Cheesecake with Gingerbread Crust Recipe

Main Dishes

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February 1, 2020

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This Eggnog Cheesecake with Gingerbread Crust Recipe is so creamy, dreamy and delicious! With eggnog and gingerbread, it tastes just like the holidays!

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Things You\’ll Need

1 (5-ounces) package of gingerbread cookies (such as Pepperidge Farm Gingermen)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour, plus 3 tablespoons divided
3 tablespoons melted butter
24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup prepared eggnog
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Step 1: Crush the Cookies

Add the gingerbread cookies, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons flour to a food processor. Process until just crumbs remain.

Step 2: Add Melted Butter

Add the melted butter to the food processor. Process until well combined.

Step 3: Add to Pan

Press into an even layer in the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Tip

Want that cheesecake to come out easily? Place a round of parchment (cut to fit!) in the bottom of the pan.

Step 4: Wrap

Place pan on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Press it up to wrap around the bottom and up the sides. Rotate and then wrap again with more foil, then again. Use more foil than you think necessary to avoid leaks.

Tip

Afraid of leaks? Some pans leak more than others. Place the springform pan into a large plastic roasting bag (the type you use to cook a turkey), then tie it just under the top of the pan. From there, proceed to wrap in foil and there won't be any leaks for you!

Step 5: Make Filling

Add the cream cheese, sugar and remaining 3 tablespoons flour to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low to medium speed until well combined.

Tip

Always use low speed! Too much air in the batter can make the top crack during baking.

Step 6: Add Eggnog and Spices

Add the eggnog, nutmeg, salt and vanilla, mixing until well combined.

Step 7: Add Eggs

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom between additions.

Step 8: Pour Water Bath

Pour the batter over the crust. Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan. Add to the oven, then pour in warm water until about half way up the side of the cheesecake.

Step 9: Bake

Bake at 300°F for one hour and 30 minutes or until the cheesecake just jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken, but doesn't slosh in the center (it will continue to set as it cools–the toothpick test does not work on cheesecakes).

Turn off the oven, leaving the door vented. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven to avoid surface cracks.

Step 10: Cool & Serve

Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Seafood Lovers Fave: Stuffed Crab Recipe

Main Dishes

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January 29, 2020

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Seafood Lovers Fave: Stuffed Crab Recipe

Crab cakes are a classic entree, but have you ever tried stuffing them into shells? It's a fun twist with a beautiful presentation. In addition to looking great, the final dish gets a bit of an added flavor boost from being cooked in the shell. This recipe comes together in no time, and it's sure to be a crowd pleaser with seafood lovers!

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Things You\’ll Need

4 large or 6 medium blue or Dungeness crab shells, scrubbed clean (see note in Step 1)
16 ounces lump crab meat, picked through for shells
1 large egg
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon fines herbs
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients

With regards to acquiring shells, you have several options. You can steam fresh crabs for this recipe and pick out the meat, you can see if your local seafood market has fresh leftover shells, or you can save the shells after dining out (this is a common practice for those who enjoy preparing homemade stock). If you choose to steam fresh crabs, there won't be enough crab meat from 4 to 6 crabs to prepare this recipe, and the amount of meat in each crab can vary depending on numerous factors. You'll likely still need to purchase around 8 ounces of crab meat. Make sure to clean the shells as thoroughly as possible, removing any cartilage, antennae, and loose pieces of shell.

Tip

If you get the shells from a seafood market, I recommend boiling them for 10 to 15 minutes to sanitize them. Also, if you don't plan to use the shells immediately, clean them, place in a resealable plastic bag and freeze. They can be used directly out of the freezer without thawing. If any of the shells happen to stick together in the freezer, briefly run them under lukewarm water to separate.

Step 2: Whisk Together Egg and Mayonnaise

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet tray with foil. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg and then whisk in the mayonnaise until smooth.

Step 3: Add Remaining Ingredients

Switch to a spatula or spoon and stir in the bread crumbs, Old Bay, fines herbs, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley. The mixture will thicken as the bread crumbs absorb the liquid.

Step 4: Carefully Fold Wet Ingredients Into Crab Meat

Place the crab meat in a separate bowl and gently fold in the wet mixture, a little bit at a time, taking care not to break up any lumps.

Step 5: Stuff the Crab Shells

Stuff the meat into the crab shells. If you wind up with extra crab meat, you can form a crab cake. Top each stuffed crab with a small square of butter.

Step 6: Bake

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through. Optionally, you can brown the top slightly by switching on the broiler to "high" for the last 1 to 2 minutes. Keep an eye on the crabs if you do this to make sure they don't burn. Serve immediately.