Ingredients for Fried Crab Claws

1 pound fresh Crab Claws
1 bag of Fish & Shrimp Fry or substitute with corn flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Tony’s Creole Seasoning
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
lime or lemon juice
ketchup
fresh prepared horseradish
Canola oil for frying

Start by pouring about 2 inches of oil in a heavy bottom saucepan or use an electric fryer.

Pour the Fish Fry, flour, and Tony’s into a large mixing bowl. Stir well.

In a smaller mixing bowl, crack to egg and add milk and 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice. Mix well.

Heat oil on a medium heat (#6).

Put several crab claws in the egg wash to coat. Then, toss crab claws into the Fish Fry mixture and coat well. Place on a clean platter. Repeat until all crab claws are battered.

Place crab claws in the fryer – maybe a dozen at a time. They only need to fry about 2 minutes or less. Really quick.

Move to a drain on paper towels.

Make Cocktail Sauce with one cup ketchup and 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish and a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Serving Fried Crab Claws

One pound of Crab Claws will likely serve 6-8 people. They are pretty addictive. Enjoy!

Occasionally, I travel for my job to places that have no clue what good Cajun cooking is.  So, the first thing I want to do coming from the New Orleans airport is stop in Gonzales, Louisiana at Mike Anderson’s and get some Fried Crab Claws and Crab Meat Au Gratin.

Mike likes the Shrimp Norman.  I’ll have to show you how to make that soon.  Anyway, here is my version of Crabmeat Au Gratin.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for Crab Au Gratin:

1 lb Fresh white or lump crab meat
4 Tbl butter
4 Tbl flour
2 cups Cajun Trinity
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 quart Half & Half
3-5 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
Green onions – chopped for mixture and garnish
Parsley – chopped
¼ teaspoon each
 Nutmeg, White Pepper, Sea Salt and Tony’s Creole Seasoning
4-6 Oven safe baking dishes (4 cups)
Deep skillet
Baking sheet

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Place your baking dishes on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and sauté the Cajun Trinity and garlic until well wilted. 

Gradually add 4 tablespoons of flour and stirring for 2 minutes or so. 

Add in Half & Half mixing well. 

Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes to form a thick white sauce. 

Stir constantly to prevent scorching or burning.

Turn off the heat.  Stir in seasoning at ¼ teaspoon each, 3-4 cups of cheese, small amount of green onions and parsley.  Mix well. 

Fold in the crabmeat.  Spoon the mixture into individual baking dishes.  Cover with additional cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. 

You can probably bake longer for a darker browning on top.  You just need to watch it to keep from burning.  Also, optional after the 15 minutes, turn the oven on broil to brown the cheese on top. 

Carefully remove from the oven and garnish with chopped green onions or a parsley sprig.

Serves well with a steamed vegetable or side salad and crusty French bread.

Note:  The leftovers reheated well and were fantastic served with crackers like an appetizer.