Not the sort many VA restaurants serve. They are cakes of crab meat, but are often drowned in some sort of chutney, sauce, or other un-Maryland-like and insulting substance.
I was desperate. It’s not easy to find fresh Blue Crab meat around here (Central Virginia), so I used a can of the pasteurized stuff.
Yuck. It tasted like I was eating a fish cake. Crabs don’t taste like fish, they taste like crabs!
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If the pictures of the critters themselves don’t help, this might…
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You recognize that, right? Know why? Because it was Phillips Seafood that started importing the stuff. There’s a very interesting article here about Phillips’ Seafood and the Blue Swimming Crab.
Have a look some of the fresh-out-of-the-can meat from the Blue Swimming Crab…
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I actually like using it in soup, but it makes yucky crab cakes. Unless you have the right recipe, perhaps, which I don’t.
Here’s what Blue Crab meat looks like…
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I just happened to stumble across some at Costco last week. It was $23.99/pound, which may sound expensive, but it was fresh, jumbo lump, Blue Crab meat. That was a steal.
It usually comes in containers like this.
Sometimes the pasteurized, Blue Swimming Crab will come in plastic, too. You have to read the label carefully. And look at the meat.
I made crab cakes with it last night. They were DIVINE. Really. There’s world of difference between the two.
I liked it so much, I drove back to Costco tonight for two more pounds. 🙂
I have no idea if it is sold at all Costco stores. But, if you like crab, and there’s a Costco near you, I would highly recommend that you go and buy some. It was that good. Very few shells, either.
I see some Crab Imperial in our near future…
I became addicted to crab when I started visiting my girlfriend in Baltimore regularly. Crabs are a religion there. I’ve tried canned crab but never been satisfied with them. Thanks for the review.
You are KILLING me down here. :p
Thanks! Now I’m going to think about crabs non-stop and I’m sure I don’t have an easy way to get blue crab here in Seattle! I guess I’ll just go drown my sorrows in Berger cookies 🙂
Sorry, girls!
Amy, there are Costco stores all over the place out there. Give your closest one a call.
I don’t think I’d ever seen a blue swimming crab, thanks for sharing.
Kathy:
Now you tell me. I just came back from my Lobster Run and now you mentioned that I have to try out this blue crab ?
we don’t get those out here on the Pacific Coast. we get those dungeness type which are red and brown
bob
Riding the Wet Coast