2019-05-01_Food_&_Wine_USA

108 M AY 2019

Buttery Crab Casseroles

ACTIVE 1 HR 45 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR 30 MIN

SERVES 4

The simple seasonings in this recipe from

the Irish coast highlight the crab’s sweet-

ness rather than overpower it. Brown

crabs, typical in Ireland’s coastal waters,

can be substituted with fresh Dungeness

crabs, prized for their high yield—look for

them at the fish counter at your local gro-

cery store. Serve these casseroles with a

tossed salad for a complete meal.

3 (2-lb.) live brown or Dungeness crabs,

rinsed

(^1) / (^2) cup (4 oz.) plus 1 Tbsp. unsalted pure
Irish butter, divided
(^1) / 2 cup finely chopped scallions (from 3
scallions)
(^1) / 2 cup finely chopped celery leaves
(from 1 celery stalk)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
(^3) / (^4) tsp. fine sea salt, divided
(^1) / 4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
11 / 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1. Fit a steamer basket inside a large pot.
   Fill pot with water until water line is just
   below bottom of steamer basket. Bring
   to a rapid boil over high. Place crabs in
   steamer basket. Cover pot, and reduce
   heat to medium-high; steam crabs 18
   minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with
   i c e w a te r.


2. Remove steamed crabs from pot, and
   plunge into ice water; let stand 10 min-
   utes. Working with 1 crab at a time,
   remove from ice water. Remove crabmeat
   from shells; transfer crabmeat to a bowl,
   and discard crab shells. (Crabmeat
   should yield about 1 pound.)


3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt^1 / 2 cup but-
   ter in a medium skillet over medium. Add
   scallions and celery leaves; cook, stirring
   occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
   Using a slotted spoon, remove mixture
   from skillet; transfer to a plate. Add
   lemon juice,^1 / 2 teaspoon salt, white pep-
   per, and cayenne pepper to skillet. Bring
   to a simmer over medium-high; cook,
   undisturbed, until slightly reduced, about
   2 minutes. Add crabmeat; cook, stirring
   gently, until warmed through, about 2
   minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer
   crabmeat mixture to 4 (12-ounce) baking
   dishes or 1 (2-quart) baking dish; sprinkle
   with scallion mixture.


4. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in
   skillet over medium. Add breadcrumbs
   and remaining^1 / 4 teaspoon salt; cook,
   stirring often, until breadcrumbs are well
   coated with butter and slightly browned,
   4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle breadcrumbs
   over crabmeat mixture.


5. Transfer baking dishes to preheated
   oven; bake until crab casseroles just
   begin to bubble around edges, about 20
   minutes. Serve hot with tossed salad.
   —ROBB WALSH
   BEER Irish red ale: Murphy’s Irish Red

Grillin

,

and

Chillin

,

Chile-Glazed Shrimp with

Herbs and Rice Noodles

PHOTO P. 78

ACTIVE 20 MIN; TOTAL 50 MIN; SERVES 4

Slowly grilling head-on shrimp while bast-

ing with a garlic- and chile-infused fish

sauce yields tender, juicy shrimp. Served

as a main course on a salad of rice noo-

dles and herbs, they are also fun as an

appetizer served with Salt-and-Pepper

Limes (recipe at right) for squeezing.

3 Tbsp. canola oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1

Tbsp.)

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. sambal oelek

1 Tbsp. fish sauce (such as Red Boat)

(^1) / 2 tsp. chili powder
(^1) / (^2) tsp. black pepper
1 lb. unpeeled head-on, tail-on raw
large wild Gulf shrimp
4 cups cooked rice vermicelli noodles
1 (11-oz.) cucumber, thinly sliced
(about 2 cups)
5 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
(^1) / 2 cup chopped fresh rau ram
(Vietnamese coriander) or cilantro
8 thin lime slices (from 1 lime)
4 green Thai chiles, thinly sliced
Nuoc Cham (recipe follows)
Salt-and-Pepper Limes (recipe
follows)

1. Open bottom vent of a charcoal grill
   completely. Light charcoal chimney
   starter filled with briquettes. When bri-
   quettes are covered with gray ash, pour
   them onto bottom grate of grill, and push
   to one side of grill. Adjust vents as needed
   to maintain an internal temperature of
   450°F to 500°F.


2. While grill preheats, stir together oil,
   garlic, sugar, sambal oelek, fish sauce,
   chili powder, and black pepper in a small
   bowl. Set aside.


3. Thread shrimp lengthwise (from head
   through tail) onto 6 (12-inch) skewers
   (about 2 shrimp per skewer). Place skew-
   ers on unoiled grates over side of grill
   without coals. Grill, uncovered, 1 minute;
   turn skewers, and brush with sambal
   oelek mixture. Grill, turning and brushing
   skewers with mixture every 1 to 2 min-
   utes, until shrimp are cooked through
   and shells are pink and crisp, about 4

COOK

THE

COVER

PHOTOGRAPHY: VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: HEATHER CHADDUCK HILLEGAS