Puerto Rican Crab Recipes

CRAB EMPANADAS WITH GARLIC-LIME AIOLI

Steps:

• For the empanadas: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add olive oil to lightly coat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook until just translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the corn, cilantro and crab and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and crushed red pepper. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly until cool enough to handle.
• Meanwhile, roll out each dough into 11-inch rounds, using flour as needed to avoid sticking. Cut the dough using a cookie cutter or lip of a glass into desired size, anywhere from 4 to 6 inches. Use all of the dough, putting scraps together and rolling out again. Divide filling equally among all of the dough, placing the filling in the center. Brush the sides of the dough lightly with the egg wash and fold to form a half moon. Press the edges together with a fork to seal. Place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and brush with the remaining egg wash. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the top of each empanada to allow steam to escape while baking. Bake until the dough is golden brown and flaky, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with the aioli.
• For the aioli: Add the garlic, vinegar, lime zest and juice and egg yolks to the bowl of a food processor. Turn the machine on. While the machine is running, begin adding the oil, drop by drop, until you see the mixture thicken. When the mixture begins to look like a smooth homogeneous mixture, the oil can be added in a slow thin stream. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it down. Season with salt and taste to make sure it is delicious.

PUERTO RICAN CRAB

Steps:

• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and oregano; sauté until soft, about 6 minutes. Add tomato sauce and wine and boil until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add crabmeat; lower heat to medium, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in olives, cilantro, and hot sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Spoon mixture into crab shells, if desired. Squeeze juice from lime wedges over and serve.

PUERTO RICAN CRABMEAT STEW: MOFONGO PUERTORRIQUENO

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring water to a boil and blanch plantains. Peel plantains and cut into 2-inch segments.
• In a saute pan, heat oil and saute onions, peppers and tomatoes. When soft, add the chipotles and white wine. Cook until liquid is almost evaporated. Add crabmeat and cook for 3 minutes. Add cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees F. Fry plantains for 5 minutes, then drain and divide into 4 equal portions. Place each portion individually in a mortar, and mash plantains, adding chicken stock as needed. Coat sides of mortar with plantain and fill with crab stuffing. Fold over the edges to form a dumpling and flip onto a plate.

ALCAPURRIAS DE JUEYES (CRAB-STUFFED FRITTERS)

Steps:

• Prepare the annatto oil: In a small saucepan, heat oil and annatto seeds over medium-high. Once the mixture comes to a rolling simmer, remove saucepan from stove, stir to combine, then let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer oil to a heat-safe container, straining out seeds through a fine-mesh sieve, and set aside. (Makes 3/4 cup.) You'll use this oil in three separate steps to come.
• Prepare the masa: Fill a large bowl with cold water and a fistful of salt. Peel and chop yautia and green bananas into 1-inch pieces, then soak in the salted water until ready to process.
• Cut at least 32 squares of wax paper about 4 to 5 inches each. (Traditionally, banana leaves are used, but, since they can be difficult to source, wax paper is an appropriate substitute.)
• Drain yautia and bananas well, then use a clean cloth to dab any excess water. Working in two batches, add half the drained yautia and bananas to the food processor with 1 tablespoon salt, and pulse until fully incorporated. Repeat with the remaining yautia, bananas and 1 tablespoon salt, processing to the texture of chunky hummus.
• Return the first batch of blended yautia and bananas to the food processor, turn it on and gradually pour in 1/2 cup annatto oil, blending the mixture until smooth and dark yellow in color. Taste for salt, then transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate for an hour or more so it can set. (This will make about 9 to 10 cups of masa.)
• Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan, bring 3 tablespoons annatto oil to a simmer over medium heat. Add sofrito, capers, sazón and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Lower heat to medium-low and add crab meat, stirring well to incorporate. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until flavors blend and crab has soaked up the seasoning. Adjust salt as needed.
• Create an assembly line on a long dining table or counter, preferably atop a cloth or towels you don't mind getting stained. From left to right, arrange the remaining annatto oil, wax paper squares, masa, crab filling and a large plate or baking sheet. Have a finger bowl with water and a clean towel available in case your hands get messy.
• Using a small teaspoon, smear about 1/8 teaspoon of annatto oil in a wide oval shape nearly to the edge of the paper. Add about 2 tablespoons of masa, then spread in a wide oval over the annatto oil, leaving at least a 1/2-inch border of paper uncovered. Add about 2 to 3 teaspoons crab to the center of the masa, taking care not to overfill. Fold the paper in half, creating a half-moon shape, and seal the edge by pressing the masa lightly with your fingers, careful not to let the filling spill out. Stack carefully on a plate or baking sheet, and return to the fridge until ready to fry. (These fry up best when they've had time to rest in the refrigerator. If you'd like to prepare these ahead of time, you can refrigerate them for several hours, or store in the freezer for several months. They can be fried directly from the freezer.)
• In a deep, heavy-bottomed pan or deep fryer, bring about 2 inches of vegetable oil (at least 4 cups) to a simmer over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer. Working in batches, carefully transfer each alcapurria to the simmering oil, sliding it off the paper onto your hand, then carefully dropping in the oil. Gently nudge the alcapurrias with heat-safe tongs to prevent them from sticking. (The filling may burst through the edges, causing oil to splatter, so keep a splatter guard handy, if you have one.) Turn each fritter a few times until evenly dark golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove from oil and drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and cook remaining alcapurrias. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before eating, as they are quite hot. Sprinkle each bite with your hot sauce of choice.