Chesapeake Cuisine

Fried Soft Shell Crabs

Serves 4

For crispy fried soft shell crabs, be sure to thoroughly pat dry the crabs before breading. Soak them in milk or buttermilk, coat them in seasoned flour with added aluminum-free cornstarch, and fry them at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes per side. 

Ingredients

• 4 cleaned soft-shell crabs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch,  aluminum free (for extra crispiness)
• 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning such as J.O. or Old Bay (adjust to taste)
• Oil for frying (vegetable, lard, tallow, or peanut) 
• 
  

Instructions

1. Prep the Crabs: Make sure your seafood market fully cleans the soft crabs.  To ensure crispiness, pat them completely dry with paper towels. 
2. Soak:  Submerge the dry crabs in the milk and let them soak for 15 to 30 minutes      in the refrigerator. 
3. Mix  Breading: In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and      seafood seasoning.
4. Heat the Oil: Pour 2 to 3 inches of oil into a deep cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 350°F. 
5. Bread:  Carefully lift a crab from the milk and allow the excess to drip off.  Dredge the crab in the flour mixture, gently pressing so the entire crab is coated, then shake off the excess. 
6. Fry:  Gently lay the crabs into the hot oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. 
7. Drain  & Serve: Transfer the cooked crabs to paper towels to drain excess  oil. Season with a pinch of salt if needed, and serve immediately. 

The classic way to serve a crab cake sandwich is on white bread with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise, but we prefer Dave’s 21 Whole Grains bread or rolls, toasted. Some prefer tartar sauce to mayonnaise. To complete the meal, serve corn on the cob in a corn dish with melted, seasoned butter. 

Tomato Pie

Serves 8 

Ingredients:

8 large-sized ripe tomatoes, sliced

½ cup chopped fresh basil (or tarragon)

½ cup chopped fresh chives

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup light sour cream

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt, pepper to taste

1 ready-to-bake refrigerated pie crust

Instructions:

Bake single pie crust at 450 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool completely. 

Slice tomatoes, lay out on a wire cooling racks, and salt moderately. Allow tomatoes to drain. If you are in a hurry, press down on each tomato with a turner spatula. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop the fresh herbs or use kitchen scissors to slice thinly.   

In a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, and cheddar cheese, salt, and coarsely ground pepper.   

When crust has cooled completely, layer slices of tomato until filled. Sprinkle with herbs. Cover pie with cheese mixture, spreading to cover edges. (For easier spreading without scattering the herbs, glob tablespoons of the cheese mixture around the top of the pie and heat for 5 minutes in the oven. Remove from oven and spread the now-melted cheese mixture easily. Bake in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned. Cool to room temperature. 

     Purchase a few pounds of fresh soft shell clams harvested from the brackish sparkling waters of Eastern Bay, the Chester River, or the Choptank River on Maryland's Eastern Shore served with butter seasoned with lemon and hot sauce for a delectable treat your guests won't soon forget. 

Soft Shell Clams “Steamers”

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 lbs of soft shell clams

1 stick of butter

Juice of one lemon

Hot sauce to taste

1/3 cup sea salt

6-8 tablespoons corn meal

First, Soak Soft-Shell Clams: Soak soft-shell clams in sea salt water and cornmeal to help remove sand. The salt mirrors the brackish waters of the bay, and the cornmeal acts as an irritant that encourages them to filter water and push out grit. 

1. Rinse      first: Wash the outside of your clams under cool, running water to      remove any surface dirt. 
2. Mix      the water: Prepare a saltwater solution using sea salt and cool water.      A good ratio is roughly 1/3 cup sea salt for every 1 gallon of cold      water (or about 2 tablespoons per 4 cups of water). Mix until the salt      is completely dissolved. Be sure to use sea salt, not iodized salt. 
3. Add      cornmeal: Stir in about 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornmeal per dozen      clams. 
4. Soak:     Submerge the clams in the water. Leave them at room temperature for about 2      to 4 hours. (Keep them out of the fridge, as the cold temperature will      cause them to shut tight and stop filtering). 
5. Drain      and rinse: When they are done, carefully remove the clams from the      bowl so they don't sit in the dirty water, and give them a final rinse.

Second, Steam the Clams: When ready to cook, put about an inch of water or beer with a couple of lemon slices in the bottom of the steamer pot. Carefully place the clams inside the steamer basket. If you do not have a steamer pot, you can boil the clams in a large stock pot. Soft shell clam shells are fragile, so handle them gently. 

1. Bring      the water to a boil. Place the steamer basket inside the pot and cover it with      a lid. Let the clams steam for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the steamer      clam shells are wide open. Remove the pot from heat. Discard any steamers      that did not open. 
2. Reserve      the hot broth for later use. 
3. Remove      the cooked clams from the pot, placing them in a serving bowl. 
4. Pour      the butter sauce into a bowl or individual bowls. 
5. Pour hot      broth into a bowl or individual bowls. 

         6. Serve the steamers with an empty bowl for the shells, a bowl with broth for dipping, and a bowl with butter for dipping. 

Third, Eat the Clams: Serve the clams with buttery sauce and the steaming broth. 

        1. To eat, open the shell and remove the cooked clam. Pull off the skin covering the siphon of the clam. Discard with the shells into the shell bowl.

        2. Hold the clam by the siphon and swirl it around in the hot brother (to remove any remaining sand). 

        3. Dip the clam into melted butter and eat!

        4. Note about the siphon. My husband loves to eat the entire clam including the siphon. For me, the siphon is too chewy, so I just eat the clam belly. 

For a simple and quick crab cake recipe, mix together 12 pulverized saltines, half-cup mayo, half-cup sour cream, juice of one-half lemon, tablespoon of yellow mustard, a couple of shakes of hot sauce, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, a dash or two of paprika, and, if available, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Toss in one pound of crab meat and mix well. Shape six patties on a baking sheet. Preheat broiler. Broil for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Don't worry about flipping! Serve with Campari tomatoes (the most flavorful this time of year) and your favorite rolls. We like Dave's whole grain. 

Before berry season begins and you're looking for a sweet fruit, know that mandarin oranges are great this time of year! Sprinkle them on top of a bed of arugula garnished with toasted, sliced almonds and goat cheese. The sweetness of the orange pairs well with the peppery taste of arugula. Dress the salad with a balsamic reduction. 

Serves: 2 to 3

Prepping and cook time: 30 minutes

Order: cook grits first, then scallops, then arugula. 

Pan Seared Sea Scallops 

Ingredients

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar 

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp cayenne

4 T olive oil

4 T butter 

1 pound fresh sea scallops, strained, juices set aside for later use in grits

Mix first six ingredients well to create a seasoning mix. Dip one side of each scallop in seasoning. Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium heat; add half the olive oil and butter to the skillet and spread evenly. Add scallops to skillet, seasoned side down, being sure to leave room in between each scallop. Sear for 3 minutes; using tongs, flip each scallop to the remaining side and sear for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, depending on your skillet’s heat and your preference for doneness.  Use the flat side of the skillet to push pan drippings to the side. Add the remaining butter and olive oil, spreading evenly in the skillet. Add remaining scallops and repeat process. To keep warm before serving, place scallops on an oven-proof plate in an oven temperature set to warm (170 degrees). 

Cheddar Grits

8 cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped

½ onion, diced

1 T olive oil

1T butter

1 cup Quaker Old-Fashioned grits

1 c milk

4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Pan drippings from pan-seared scallops

In a medium-sized saucepan on low heat, combine olive oil and butter until melted. Add tomatoes and onions, simmering until soft. Add milk to the saucepan and stir lightly. Simmer for three or four minutes until milk temperature is hot but not boiling. Add grits and stir. With heat remaining on low, cover and cook for 15 or 20 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in shredded cheddar, juice and pan drippings from scallops and mix through. Keep on warm heat until ready to serve.  

Arugula with Zesty Lemon Peel

½ T olive oil

5 ounce container of fresh arugula

Juice of one-half lemon

Lemon peel gratings from one lemon

Heat a wok or skillet with olive oil.  Add arugula and toss for about 1 minute. Add lemon juice and lemon peel and toss for an additional minute. Remove from heat. 

To Serve:

To each of two (or three) shallow bowls, add a ladle or two of cheddar grits. Use tongs to add a serving of arugula to the center of the grits. Using tongs, add scallops to line the perimeter of the grits. Enjoy!  

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1/2 c mayonnaise

1/4 c sour cream

juice of half of a lemon, or more to taste

1 T hot sauce, or more to taste

1 T crab cake seasoning

2 T fresh parsley, minced

16 crackers, finely crushed

1 pound lump crab meat

Directions

In a mixing bowl, blend together the first seven ingredients until well mixed. Add the lump crab meat and gently toss to combine. Shape the mixture into 6 large or 8 medium-sized Chesapeake Crab Cakes.

If time permits, refrigerate the crab cakes for four hours or overnight, as this helps them hold together better during broiling and serving. If you're short on time, you can proceed to broiling them, but be gentle when transferring from the broiling pan to the serving dish.

Preheat the broiler. Place the Chesapeake Crab Cakes on a heavy baking sheet. Depending on your oven temperature, broil for eight to ten minutes without flipping, until they are golden brown. Enjoy your delicious seafood recipe alongside grilled salmon or oysters on the half shell for a fantastic meal this winter!

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 c soy sauce

4 T brown sugar

Juice of one lime (substitute any citrus juice)

2 T rice wine vinegar

2 T kosher salt

8 salmon filets

Directions

Mix the first five ingredients to create a flavorful marinade. Place the salmon in a glass dish and let it marinate for two to eight hours, with four hours being optimal. This grilled salmon recipe is perfect for any seafood lover, whether you're enjoying it alongside Chesapeake crab cakes or oysters on the half shell.

Remove the salmon from the marinade, reserving some for later use. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Heat the reserved marinade in the microwave for two minutes or on the stovetop until bubbly. This step enhances the flavor and is essential for your winter recipes.

Grill the salmon for two minutes on one side, then gently flip it over. Brush the flipped salmon with the reserved marinade. Grill for another two minutes. Once done, remove from heat and brush again with the well-heated marinade. (Note: if the grill heat is not high enough, you may need to grill the salmon for an additional minute after flipping.) Enjoy your delicious seafood dish!

Serves 2

Ingredients

½ c red wine vinegar

2 T shallots, finely minced

½ t freshly ground pepper

Pinch of kosher salt

2 T diced tomatoes, optional

One dozen oysters in the shell

Directions:

To make the mignonette sauce for your oysters on the half shell, whisk together the first five ingredients in a glass bowl. Cover and allow to stand at room temperature for at least two hours or refrigerate overnight.

Shuck the oysters by holding them cup-side down with the hinge facing toward you. Insert the oyster knife into the hinge, twisting to pop it open. Slide the knife to sever the top and bottom muscles of the oyster, keeping it level to retain the oyster liquor.

Serve the oysters on an oyster dish or on a platter lined with rock salt. Garnish each oyster with one or two teaspoons of mignonette sauce. Place a small bowl of reserved mignonette sauce with a small spoon in the center of the oyster platter for guests desiring additional sauce. This dish pairs beautifully with crusty French bread and is a great addition to any seafood recipes, especially alongside Chesapeake crab cakes or grilled salmon. Enjoy this delightful treat in the cold days of winter, when oysters are at their plumpest.