King Crab Rolls: Delicious Eating
King Crab Rolls
On occasion it happens – leftover king crab. It is a rare occurrence, but sometimes there are a few nice king crab legs left after the feast and these are perfect for making king crab rolls. Not a morsel of crab should be wasted. Most may choose lobster instead, but crab rolls are every bit as good, if not better. When that sweet succulent meat is delicately moistened with a dash of mayo and seasoned just so with lemon, lemon zest and celery seed, your mouth can’t help but water. Oh, YUM!
Crab Rolls – the Cooking
The beauty of making the crab rolls out of crab that is already cooked is that there is no more cooking. Cooking crab is easy, but when you have something that is so delicious and made even more delicious without any further cooking, that is gastro nirvana! Sure, you might bake your own rolls, but you don’t have to. A perfectly good crab roll can be had with a store bought brioche, potato or hot dog roll.
Crab Rolls – Keep It Simple
When making crab rolls, the golden rule of thumb is only add things that help bring out the succulent, sweet goodness of the crab. Should an ingredient even suggest that it might take some of the spotlight away from the crab, forget it. No matter if it is a crab roll, a king crab roll or other kind of crab roll, the crab is the star of the show. This is the other reason why a plain hot dog bun does the job. A plain hot dog bun will just sit back and pretty much be something the crab sits on – a vehicle, if you will. Like the guy at a party who just sits and says nothing! That is a perfect bun for a crab roll.
Crab Rolls – The Mayo, The Lemon, The Sweet Onion, The Celery Seed
Following the simple rule is easy. The first ingredient is mayonnaise. Gobs of your favorite mayo are not needed for crab rolls. What is needed is simply a gentle binding kiss of mayonnaise. A good squeeze of lemon and a pinch of lemon zest are also recommended as that tartness and lemon essence help bring out the sweetness of the crab meat. I like to indulge a crab roll with a fine dice of sweet onion. The onion and celery seed help to bring out the other crab flavors, beside the sweetness. Celery seed is so good with seafood, but only a little is needed. When these ingredients are gently stirred together and placed atop a bun of little distinction, a fantastic treat awaits.
Crab Rolls – Ok, More On the Bun
For all those out there hollering about the bun discussion, don’t get me wrong. A fine brioche bun would never be bad either as the buttery notes would certainly make that crab sing. Even a hot dog bun that has been buttered and toasted is a tasty addition. My culinary gut, though, always tells me to be a minimalist when it comes to crab because it is so delicious on its own. Simple is better and in the case of crab, more delicious!
The video below gives you all the details about how to make a great crab roll and the recipe follows.
- 1 lb of shelled king crab meat, picked through to remove any cartilage bits
- 1/2 of a small sweet onion
- 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp of your favorite mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp of celery seed
- Hot Sauce (like tobasco)
- salt and pepper
- 4 hot dog buns or similarly plain rolls
- Finely dice the onion.
- Zest the lemon. Cut the lemon in half.
- In a large bowl, gently stir together the crab, onion, and just enough mayonnaise to bind it all together. Stir carefully as nice big pieces of crab make a great crab roll. Add a nice pinch of lemon zest and squeeze in lemon juice to taste. Season with a dash of hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Adjust lemon and zest as needed.
- Split the rolls.
- Divide the crab mixture over the rolls. Serve immediately.
- Lump crab meat can also be used instead of king crab meat.
- Buttering and toasting the rolls is optional.
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
How do you make crab rolls? Do you use king crab?Let us know in the comments or on Facebook.
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