Tag: shrimp

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!

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That Other Crab Meat

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.

Also try my delicious Buffa-Que shrimp.

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5 from 1 vote

Crab-Stuffed Shrimp

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. 

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword shrimp, stuffed

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 674kcal

Author Based on a recipe from The BBQ Pit Boys

Equipment

• Cast Iron Skillet
• Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp jumbo, 6-8 count (I used smaller, 16 count shrimp)
• ½ pound unsalted butter plus more for the skillet
• ½ sweet onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 ½ sleeves Ritz crackers crumbled
• 2 slices white bread crusts removed, cubed
• ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• parsley chopped
• kosher salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise plus more if needed
• ½ pound lump crab
• 1 lemon halved

Instructions

• 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!

Nutrition

Calories: 674kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 434mg | Sodium: 1475mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1448IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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