Thanks to good friends who live in the Chesapeake Bay area, I spend quite a bit of time cooking and eating along Maryland’s coastline. Hang out in this region for any amount of time and you’ll quickly see how crazy everyone is about crabs. It’s not hard to figure out why. Native to the western Atlantic, blue crabs play a major role in the local marine fisheries and economy.
As their name suggests, blue crabs sport blue claws and bluish-green bodies. Along with their striking appearance they possess sweet, soft and flaky meat, a trait that wins them many fans. Got blue crabs? Then you’ve got a lot of recipes featuring savory crab meat.
What do my Chesapeake Bay buddies do with their crustaceans? They steam or sauté them, shape them into patties for crab cakes or add them to soups and stews. One of my favorite Chesapeake Bay creations is a quick, zesty appetizer known as crab balls. Created by old friend and cooking pal Elizabeth Theisen, crab balls are this week’s Kitchen Kat offering.
Note that, because the blue crab population has decreased in recent years, I try to use a more eco-friendly species such as stone, Dungeness or peekytoe crab in this and other crab recipes.
CHESAPEAKE BAY CRAB BALLS
Recipe courtesy of Elizabeth Theisen
Makes 1 dozen
1 extra-large egg
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon horseradish
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons dried parsley
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
Lemon wedges, optional, for serving
Cocktail sauce, optional, for serving
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whisk together everything but the bread crumbs and crab meat. Add the bread crumbs and stir to combine. Fold in the crab meat.
Using 1 1/2 tablespoons of crab mix, form a small ball and place it on a baking sheet. Repeat, leaving about a half inch space between the balls, until all the crab mixture is gone.
Bake the crab balls for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp around the edges. Serve warm with optional lemon wedges and cocktail sauce.