Ginger and Garlic Steamed Crabs #SeafoodRecipesWorldwide

This is the natural way of cooking crabs that needs few ingredients and dipping sauce. You can choose the sauce that suits your taste.

Ingredients:

2 pounds king or snow crab legs
3 finely chopped shallots
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 inch of finely chopped lemongrass
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup white wine
2 inches grated or finely chopped fresh ginger
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt
2 tbsp finely chopped celery leaves

Procedures:

1) In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot, about 2-3 minutes. Add the shallots and lemongrass and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring well.

2) Arrange the king or snow crab legs in a large pot with a steamer insert set inside. Pour enough water into the pot to come up to the bottom of the steamer, but do not let the crab sit in water. Cover and turn the heat on to medium.

3) Add the wine, the grated ginger and a little salt and turn the heat up to high. Boil off the wine by half, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice, one tablespoon of celery leaves (leaves from the top of a bunch of celery you buy in the store), and taste for salt again -- add some if you need it.

4) If the crabs have not already been steaming, turn the heat on the pot to high and steam the crabs for 5 minutes; remember king and snow crab legs are pre-cooked, so you are just heating them up.

5) Pour the sauce into a food processor and blitz it until it becomes a thick puree; it should look a bit like a light green mayo, as everything will emulsify. Or, you can use soy sauce, lemon juice and piece of fresh red chili, for spiciness.

6) Remove the crab meat from the shells with scissors or kitchen shears and set in a bowl.

7) To serve, lay some sauce down on a plate and top with nice leg pieces of the crab. Top with the other tablespoon of celery leaves and serve hot or at room temperature.

Salmon Tartare #SeafoodRecipesWorldwide

Salmon Tartare

Ingredients:

1 pound salmon fillet, with skin if possible
1 shallot, minced, about 1/4 cup
1 to 2 tablespoons roasted pumpkin seed oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons dill pollen (optional)
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 ounces salmon caviar

Procedures:

1.) Slice the skin off the salmon with a fillet knife and gently scrape off any meat sticking to it. Pat the salmon skin dry with paper towels and lay flat, cut side down, on a non-stick skillet. Turn the heat to medium and place another flat, heavy surface on top of the skin. I use another pot. Let this cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Listen for it sizzling under the weight, and do not check the skin for at least 3 minutes — this prevents it from curling up. Once the cut side looks crispy, turn the salmon skin, salt the side you just cooked, and repeat the process with the other side of the skin.

2.) When the salmon skin is crispy, take it out of the pan and let it cool for a minute or two. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut it into cracker pieces. Let it cool completely.

3.) Meanwhile, make the tartare by finely chopping the salmon into small dice. Do not put it into a food processor and do not shop it into mush. Put the chopped salmon into a bowl and mix in the shallot, pumpkinseed oil, lemon zest, dill, dill pollen if using, and horseradish. Salt and pepper it to taste and set it in the fridge to chill for up to a few hours.

4.) When you are ready to serve, mix the lemon juice into the tartare and scoop little piles of it on each salmon skin cracker. Top with a dollop of salmon caviar and serve. Have some table water crackers around to serve after the salmon skin crackers are eaten up.

5.) Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer.