With a Southern Twist » Recipes

Steamed Blue Crabs

Wendy — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:01:43 +0000

With the big Labor Day weekend on the horizon, I wanted to feature a recipe for steamed blue crabs and I knew just who to call for the recipe. I called my friend Kevin, who lives here in Atlanta put who’s from Baltimore originally. He says as a true Baltimorean “we can get a little uppity about our crabs.” Since blue crabs are native to the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean, you can use this recipe for any blue crabs, not just the ones from Baltimore. Some folks like to add hot pepper flakes to the liquid and/or coarse ground salt to the seasoning blend, but the Baltimore crab purist like this recipe as is the best. He also shared a recipe for crab soup that I’ll share later this year.

Blue Crabs caught in North Carolina steamed to perfection. Photo compliments of Tim Shannon Photography.

Steamed Blue Crabs

Ingredients

1 can of beer (“the real stuff, no light beer”)

½ cup white vinegar

Water

Seasoning blend for each layer of crabs:
1 part dry mustard
3 parts Old Bay Seasoning
2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper

First, chill the crabs with ice in the sink or cooler so the crabs are immobilized. Fill a large crab steam pot with beer and vinegar, and then add enough water to line the bottom of the pot, but not enough to surpass the first layer of crabs that will be added. Add a layer of crabs and sprinkle with the seasoning blend, proceeding the same way for each layer until the pot is full. Place the lid on the pot and then place a heavy bowl on the lid while steaming to keep the crabs from escaping. When the crabs are a nice red color they are done.

Optional: Add hot pepper flakes to the liquid and coarse ground salt to the seasoning blend as desired.

If you need helping learning how to eat a blue crab, then go to the Old Bay Seasoning’s Web site and watch their very informative How to Pick a Crab video.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Wendy — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:01:08 +0000

Most, if not all, children are back in school, or will be very shortly, so why not welcome them home with homemade chocolate chip cookies. Just the aroma alone of freshly baked homemade chocolate chip cookie will make anyone feel at home. When I bake chocolate chip cookies I always use Ghirardelli® (pronounced “Gear-ar-delly”) Chocolate Chips ever since they were a Southern Living Cooking School sponsor back in the ‘90s. Ghirardelli has produced chocolate for more than 150 years and they are one of very few American manufacturers that make chocolate starting from the cocoa bean through to finished products. Try it and you and your family will taste the difference too.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies, my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

11 1/2 ounce Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cup unsifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions
Heat oven to 375ºF.

Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and lightened in color. Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: The 11 1/2 ounces of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips can be substituted with any variety of chip flavors (i.e. Milk Chocolate Chips, 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, etc.).

Deviled Eggs and Plates

Wendy — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:01:45 +0000

I love vintage deviled egg plates almost as much as I love deviled eggs. Here are a few that a friend, my sister and I thought we’d share with you. Some of the old vintage ones that you might find on eBay or at an antique store can range from beautiful to quirky but always very functional. Most of today’s new deviled egg plates are plastic and really designed for transport that’s why I like the old glass ones better.

Enjoy my deviled egg recipe as well. The key to great deviled eggs for this Southern girl is that I use Kraft Miracle Whip. I did prepare my traditional eggs last weekend and substituted sweet pickle relish for the Wickles Relish. They were delicious and had just a hint of wicked to the deviled. Garnish your deviled egg plate with items like olives, pickles, sliced roasted red peppers or cheese-filled celery, i.e. pimento cheese or a garlic or herb- flavored cream cheese.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs with mixed olives

Ingredients

6 hard-boiled eggs

2 ½ tablespoons Kraft Miracle Whip

1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of black pepper

Paprika (optional)

Peel hard-boiled eggs and cut in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the yolk. Place yolks in bowl and mash with folk. Stir in next five ingredients. Spoon into cooked egg white halves by using two small spoons (using one as a scoop and the other as more of a spatula to help fill egg halves). Lightly sprinkle with paprika if desired. The paprika doesn’t add much spiciness, it’s more for color.