Big Johns Nawlins Crab Recipes

CLASSIC N'AWLINS SHRIMP BOIL

Steps:

• If you're not using the commercial crab boil, wrap the seasonings in cheesecloth and use kitchen twine to secure the bundle. Place the spices, 1 gallon water, salt, lemons, cayenne, garlic, onion, and potatoes in a large pot (squeeze the lemons over the water as you throw them in), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer at least 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are just about cooked through. Return the heat to boiling and add the sausage and shrimp. Cook for 5-7 more minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through (they will turn bright pink).
• Drain the pot carefully, to serve hot or at room temperature. Remove the cheesecloth bag and lemons, if desired, and then serve the shrimp, garlic, sausage, and potatoes in a large bowl, or just dump them out on a table covered with newspaper and get peeling! If you are using the shrimp for salad or another recipe, cool it completely, then peel and refrigerate until ready to use.

NEW ORLEANS (NAWLINS) STYLE CRAB BISQUE

Steps:

• Cook bacon is a large frying pan with a little oil on low to get the grease out of the bacon.
• Chop pepper, tomato, onion, celery and carrots, then add to the bacon in the frying pan. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes on medium low heat.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large glass bowl add cream (you can add more or less if you like your bisque thicker or thinner then the recipe calls for), add crab meat, and corn(still frozen).
• Put a strainer over top of a small bowl. Take your frying pan with the vegetables and bacon and strain the grease from them into the bowl. Add 3 heaping tablespoons of corn starch to the grease and stir. After blended well add 1 tablespoon of zatarains crab boil to the grease/cornstarch mixture. (you can add more crab boil if you like yours spicier). Stir the crab boil into the mixture.
• Add grease/cornstarch/crab boil mixture to the bowl with the crab, cream, and corn. Stir well.
• Cover the bowl with foil and bake on 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Stir the mixture every 15 minutes, and remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
• Optional garnish: sprinkle with pepper and add a little parsley.

BIG JOHN'S CLASSIC CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add all ingredients except flour and mix by hand until well combined.
• Melt butter to brown in pan over medium heat.
• Make 8 equally sized portions and form into cakes 2.
• 5" in diameter and 3/4" thick.
• Dust with flour.
• Fry cakes in butter over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides.