Grilled cheese sandwiches aren’t uncommon in our household, not at all. They’re easy and good and that’s all you can ask for. But, sometimes I just gotta mix things up. Not crazy mix things up, but crazy good mix things up. The filling in these crab grilled cheese sandwiches is just like a good crab salad. It just needs a little ‘help’, and that comes in the form of melted oooey gooey Swiss cheese on crispy golden bread. A nice crunch then creamy salad and cheese. Perfect.
Simple. Yet Delicious.
The crab salad inside these crab grilled cheese sandwiches is actually quite good and simple. It’d also be perfect inside appetizer sandwiches. Ya know, the fancy ones they serve at teas.
The filling in these crab grilled cheese sandwiches is just like a good crab salad. It just needs a little ‘help’, and that comes in the form of melted oooey gooey Swiss cheese on crispy golden bread.
I wanted to seriously up my cooking game. I figured (correctly) that a stop at our local fish mongers, Caplinger’s, would inspire me even more. And so I set off to make crab-stuffed shrimp on the grill. Large shrimp are butterflied, the meat separated from the shells but still connected, and then stuffed with an absolutely delightful mixture of crab and seasonings that reminds me very much of crab cake. I cooked the shrimp over charcoal in a cast-iron skillet, giving the shrimp a light smoky flavor. The end result was out-of-this-world delicious.
These shrimp may seem a bit on the complicated side. Or at least look they are. But they really aren’t. There are basically 3 steps: prepare the shrimp, stuff the shrimp, and cook the shrimp. Now, that’s not so bad, right? The eating them part takes a whole lot less time than the preparing them does. So make extra. A lot extra!
Big Shrimp. Little Shrimp.
For appetizer-sized crab-stuffed shrimp use smaller shrimp, like the 16 count shrimp I used. For main dishes, get some 6-8 count shrimp. The larger the shrimp the easier they are to butterfly and the easier it is to separate the meat from the shell, which is definitely the most difficult part of making these shrimp. The rest is easy peasy.
As I sit here and remember just how fantastic the crab stuffing was in these shrimp, I recall back to the best crabcakes I’ve ever had, at Timbuktu’s in Hanover, Maryland. Their crabcakes have the largest and most delicious chunks of crab in them… mmmmmm…. Boy, they sure were good! I wish I there now!
Use real crab meat for stuffing these shrimp. Not that other stuff. You know the one. Kinda smells crabby. Almost looks crabby. But ain’t crabby. It’s fish. Now, I personally think there’s a place for imitation crab. But this ain’t it.
Large shrimp are butterflied, the meat separated from the shells but still connected, and then stuffed with an absolutely delightful mixture of crab and seasonings that reminds me very much of crab cake.
Fire up your grill for two zone (direct and indirect cooking). Alternatively, you can cook these shrimp in the oven at 350 F.
Cut a slit down the backs of the shrimp. Do not cut all the way thru.
Butterfly the shrimp and remove the vein.
Separate the shell from the meat but do not remove it. The shell will still be attached at the tail, but the meat will not be attached to the shell.
Lightly butter a 7″ cast iron skillet. Add the shrimp, butterflied side up.
Melt 1/2 pound of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.
Crumble the crackers into a large bowl. Add the bread, Old Bay seasoning, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Add most of the melted butter. Do not add any of the onion or garlic, you just want to add the liquid.
Mix and add the mayonnaise. Try to squeeze the mixture together. If it holds together, it’s ready. If it’s too dry add more of the melted butter and a little bit of mayonnaise and mix and try again. Keep adding more butter/mayonnaise until the mixture holds together.
Lightly chop the crab and fold into the cracker mixture.
Working in batches, squeeze a tablespoon or two of the stuffing into a small log shape and place inside the butterflied shrimp. Don’t be shy with the stuffing, you’ll have plenty.
Place over indirect heat or in the oven and cook 20 minutes or until the shrimp is done. The shrimp will be pink in color on the outside and the flesh is opaque. If cooking on the grill rotate your skillet once to achieve consistent cooking.
Place the lemon halves over direct heat on the grill and grill until seared. If cooking in the oven, just use the halves as is – don’t cook them.
Remove skillet and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
It may seem like a lot of recipe steps, but it’s pretty straightforward and the results are delicious!
If you’re looking for a fantastic salad to take to your next pitch-in, this crab pasta salad is it. I never before thought about combining them, but coleslaw and pasta really go together really well. You have the creaminess of the pasta contrasted by the crunch and bite of the slaw. Add in crab, and you have something fantastic. And of course, the Old Bay seasoning really kicks it up with a nice spicy flavor.
A Combination That Actually Works
I was very pleasantly surprised with this crab pasta salad. I didn’t really expect the slaw to work so well in this dish. It really got me to thinking about adding slaw in with any cold pasta salad.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
If you’re looking for a fantastic salad to take to your next pitch-in, this crab pasta salad is it. I never before thought about combining them, but cole slaw and pasta really go together really well.
This avocado with crab-mango salad is a great dish as an appetizer or a side salad. It’s light and refreshing and darned tasty to boot! This is the perfect salad for a warm summer brunch, combining crunchy and creamy textures into each and every bite. And of course there’s decadent crab throughout.
You can ‘play’ with this recipe a bit. Depending on what’s fresh where you are at the time. You don’t have to use mango, for example. Pineapple is fine. Or even a good ripe papaya. But you can’t skimp on the crab meat. The good stuff is a must here. And not the imitation thing.
One Fantastic Salad
Use a good quality lump crab. Pick over it first to make sure there aren’t any shell pieces. You don’t want that in your avocado with crab-mango salad!
I made these by using a cookie cutter to form them. I ‘stuff’ the ingredients inside the cutter, adding the avocado first. I don’t cram the ingredients in. Just add them and lightly compress them a bit. I don’t want them to spew out when I remove the cookie cutter. I want them the cutter to lift off easily and cleanly. I found that as I lift the cutter up, it helps to keep a finger or two on top of the salad to kind of hold it down. And hey, if a piece of onion or avocado or whatever drops out, it’s not the end of the world!
You can also just use an avocado half as your ‘bowl’ for this salad. Just remove the pit first. Scoop out most of the flesh to use in your salad. Then, just add the finished salad in and boom! Instant salad bowl! Oh and use pretty avocados. You don’t want your pretty salad in a brown avocado bowl!
Use a good, sharp peeler when you go to peel your mango. It makes a world of difference!
Squeeze half a lime into a bowl. Add the oil and cilantro and mix well.
Add the lime zest, mango, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno and mix well.
Add the crab and mix gently.
Drizzle the remaining lime juice over the avocado.
Place 1/4th of the avocado in the bottom of a large round cookie cutter or metal ring. Tamp down slightly with the bottom of a spoon.
Add in 1/4th of the crab salad and tamp down. Slowly remove the cookie cutter. I put a spoon on top of the salad mixture to hold it down while removing the cookie cutter.
Repeat with remaining avocado and crab salad.
Notes
This salad is best when served immediately after preparing.
