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Mock Crab Recipes

February 18, 2010
By Eileen Goltz

Seeing as I write about food, I tend to get a lot of emails and letters from my reader with all kinds of foodie questions. Some readers are looking for recipes; others want help with a cooking dilemma (or disaster) while others have questions that they just gotta get the answers to. For the most part my super mental database (the one that often can’t remember where I put my car keys) has the answers ready to disseminate. Every so often, however, it’s the simple questions that I think I should know the answers to that sends me to my food gurus, research books, the internet and other sources searching out the answers.

This week, a reader who has just started keeping kosher asked me if there was anything she could substitute for shrimp and/or crab, two food items she says she misses. My response was a qualified yes, there are some pretty good kosher certified FAKE crab and shrimp substitutes but you have to be VERY careful and make sure that what you’re buying has a top notch certification (think OU level certification) so that there isn’t a hint of doubt that what you’re eating is truly kosher.

Since I don’t typically get request for trief recipes I had to search some of my favorite cooking sources (professional chefs with their own food show/web site and or cookbooks). I have obviously modified the recipes to “kosherize” the ingredients and the instructions slightly for expediency but want to give all the credit the chefs for their original and delicious dishes. You can always utilize a mild white fish like tilapia for the mock crab or shrimp if you just don’t think that using the fake trief stuff is an option.
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STEVE RAICHLEN’S CHILI MOCK CRAB TACOS WITH AVOCADO CORN SALSA (fish)

Mock Crab Tacos
1 1/2 pounds mock crab, shredded
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 soft corn tortillas

Avocado Corn Salsa
1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 ripe red tomato, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 ear sweet corn, shucked
1 scallion, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers or Serrano peppers, seeded and minced (for a hotter salsa, leave the seeds in)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the mock crab under cold running water, and then blot it dry with paper towels. Place the chili powder, garlic salt, coriander, oregano, cumin, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Add the mock crab and toss to coat. Stir in the olive oil. Let the mixture marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Using a grill pan, place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot, a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the marinated mixture in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking for about 2 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 and wrap the corn tortillas in foil. Meanwhile, make the avocado and corn salsa: place the avocado in the bottom of a glass mixing bowl and gently toss it with 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Spoon the tomato on top of the avocado. Cut the kernels off the corn Add the corn kernels to the mixing bowl. The salsa can be prepared to this stage up to 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate it, covered. About 15 minutes before serving, place the foil-wrapped tortillas in the oven to warm. Just before serving, add the jalapeño(s) and cilantro to the salsa mixing bowl and gently toss to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice as necessary and season with salt and pepper to taste; the salsa should be highly seasoned. On each plate, place one warm tortilla and top with 1/4 of the mixture and desired amount of salsa. Makes 4 servings.


SWEET POTATO CORN AND MOCK CRAB CHOWDER (fish/dairy)

I modified this recipe from one that Carol Edmundson of Brewster, Mass., created.

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 cup vegetable stock
1 bag (16-ounce) frozen corn kernels or kernels cut from 4 ears fresh corn
1/2 to 1 lb. mock crab, cut into pieces
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, for garnish
1/2 cup sour cream (optional), for garnish

In a stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes and onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and cook until potatoes are just tender but hold their shape.
Remove 1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes from stock pot and mash with a fork. Return mashed potatoes to pot. Add corn, mock crab, salt, hot pepper sauce, pepper, dill and thyme, stirring to combine. Return the soup to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes; be careful not to overcook. Garnish soup with dill and sour cream, if desired. Soup may be made a few days ahead and chilled. Reheat before serving. Serves 6


MOCK CRAB STROGANOFF (fish/dairy)

1/4 cup minced onion
5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup mock crab
1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet sauté onion in 1/4 cup of the melted butter until softened. Add the mock crab and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a heated dish and keep warm. In the same skillet saute the mushrooms in remaining butter until they are browned. Sprinkle mushrooms with flour and cook mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low and stir in the mock crab mixture, sour cream and ketchup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook mixture, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Do not let mixture boil. Serve immediately over noodles or rice. Serves 4 to 6

Modified from delicious.com

TOMATO, LINGUINE AND MOCK CRAB (fish)

1 lb linguine
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is best)
1 bay leaf
1 lb mock crab
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ketchup
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook linguine according to package directions, but do not add salt. Drain in a colander. In a large skillet, combine broth, lemon juice, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the mock crab; cook, covered 1 minute. Remove mixture from the skillet; cover to keep warm. Save the poaching liquid. In another skillet, heat the olive oil. Add onion, garlic, and tomato paste; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the poaching liquid; cook until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove bay leaf and then add the mock crab mixture and chopped tomato to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in basil and pepper. Place linguine on a serving platter and spoon the sauce over top. Serve immediately. Serves 4

Submitted by Thomas Pyrine, Trenton, N.J.


GIADA DE LAURNETIS’S MOCK CRAB ON COUSCOUS

1/4 cup minced onion
5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup mock crab
1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet sauté onion in 1/4 cup of the melted butter until softened. Add the mock crab and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a heated dish and keep warm. In the same skillet saute the mushrooms in remaining butter until they are browned. Sprinkle mushrooms with flour and cook mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low and stir in the mock crab mixture, sour cream and ketchup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook mixture, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Do not let mixture boil. Serve immediately over noodles or rice. Serves 4 to 6

Modified from delicious.com

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