It’s Snow Crab Season in Quebec!
Snow crab season has finally arrived and Mario Gagnon, Head Chef of the Resto-Bar Le Commandant, is sharing his favourite crab recipe!
How to cook crab
According to our chef, the best way to eat crab is to keep it simple. Cook it for 8-10 minutes, depending on weight, in well-salted water. After cooking, “cover your table with newspaper to protect it because crab is at its best when the juices are running down your arms” says Chef Mario Gagnon. Place a large bowl in the centre of the table and put the crab legs in it. Surround the crab with a few leaves of lettuce and put out bowls of mayonnaise and melted butter for dipping and enjoy!
Crab recipe
For those of you who love to cook, here is the recipe for crab meat stuffed Atlantic salmon with Champagne sauce and dried cranberries.
CRAB MEAT STUFFED SALMON WITH CHAMPAGNE SAUCE AND DRIED CRANBERRIES
Serves 4
A portion of the sauce needs to be added to the stuffing when cold so it is best to start by making the sauce.
CHAMPAGNE SAUCE
| 15ml | Vegetable oil |
| 1 | Grey shallot |
| 125 ml | Fish stock |
| 125 ml | Champagne or white wine |
| 1 | Sprig of thyme |
| 1 | Bay leaf |
| 250 ml | 35 % cream |
THICKEN THE SAUCE
| 15 ml | Corn starch |
| 45 ml | Cold water |
Combine the starch and water and stir well
| 4 x 120 g | Salmon filets (skin and pin bones removed) |
STUFFING (4 X 30g portions)
| 120 g | Crab meat |
| 60 ml | Cooled Champagne sauce |
GARNISH
| 30 g | Dried Cranberries |
CHAMPAGNE SAUCE PREPARATION
Sweat the minced shallot in a drizzle of oil on medium heat (do not brown).
Add the fish stock, Champagne, thyme, bay leaf and cook for a few minutes.
Add the 35% cream and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring the sauce to a simmer, add the starch mixture in a thin stream to the sauce.
Stir the sauce using a wooden spoon while shaking the pan in a gentle back and forth motion. The sauce should thicken instantly. Remove from the heat and cover the sauce pan to prevent the sauce from forming a skin.
Reheat to serve.
STUFF THE SALMON
Make a ½ inch deep slit in the salmon and fill with the crab stuffing. Add a small amount of oil to a rimmed baking sheet, add the shallots and white wine so the salmon braises in the oven. Tent loosely with aluminium foil.
Bake at 375°F, for 15 to 18 minutes.
Serve with grilled asparagus, Basmati rice or your favourite vegetable. Place the sauce on the plate, add the salmon filet and garnish with dried cranberries and a sprig of fresh herbs or an edible flower.
Bon appétit!
A few interesting facts about crab!
- Found in the deep waters of the Maritime provinces and Quebec, Snow crab is the most prized type of crab in Quebec.
- In 2017, 2,098 tons of crab were expected to be fished from the Saint-Lawrence estuary which is the highest quota recorded over the last 10 years.
- In addition to being delicious, it’s also healthy! In fact, snow crab is only 89 kcal/100 g on average.
- It’s also an excellent source of protein, minerals and vitamins.