Crab & Shrimp Salad
I have lived in Maryland now for over 7 years. The Chesapeake Blue Crab and Old Bay seasoning is part of a regional food way of living. It’s about being with friends and family, drinking Natty Boh (National Bohemian beer), talking and laughing….a lifestyle of crab eating! This little blue creature brings folks together which is admirably endearing. The crab is not really the focus….it’s that you draw people together with the intent of “having crabs”. Together, you clear bushels of highly seasoned Chesapeake treasures over the course of several hours; staying thirsty from lots of Old Bay and lots of beer.
I can respect this Maryland tradition. It’s a beautiful community of dedicated “Crabbies” that champion hours of time eating their favorite cretaceous critter. However, I’m accustomed to crabs like the Alaskan King Crab. Steamed with a squeeze of lemon; quick crack with a mallet…..now your talking! The Santa Barbara Stone Crab is also one of my favorites with it’s beautiful black-tipped claws and succulent claw meat. Dungeness crabs are also a marvelous middle of the road crab.
So, I had to find a happy medium between two crabby worlds. Keeping the ingredients minimal but amazing was the intent of this Crab & Shrimp Salad recipe. The flavors meld into one happy scoop after another of deliciousness. Lots of fresh parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice bring the seafood forward with a light coating of mayonnaise to harmoniously bind the ingredients together. A friendly nod to Old Bay is added to respectfully include my new home roots. I present you with East Coast meets West Coast in the form of this delicious Crab and Shrimp Salad.
Crab and Shrimp Salad
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Zester
- Mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 1 lb Jumbo lump crab meat
- 1 1/2 lb U-12 shrimp cooked, de-veined, tail off, large dice
- 1/3 cup yellow onion diced small
- 1/3 cup large red bell pepper diced small
- 1/3 cup celery stalks diced small
- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 tbsp Italian flat leaf parsley finely minced
- 1 each lemon cleaned and zested and juiced
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- In large mixing bowl, combine crab and shrimp. Gently mix together.
- Add all spices, including lemon zest to mixture and gently fold together.
- Add lemon zest and start with 1/2 cup of mayonnaise. Gently fold together. If the mixture combines quickly, do not add remaining mayonnaise. If the mixture is a little dry, add more mayonnaise.
- Serve with pita chips, lemon wedges or celery sticks as a dip. Use the salad mixture as a filling for sliders or wraps.
