Crabby Susan
Our local supermarket puts Alaska king crab legs on special every once in a while. I developed this recipe while trying to figure out a way to use a relatively small amount of a relatively expensive ingredient.
Our local supermarket puts Alaska king crab legs on special every once in a while. I developed this recipe while trying to figure out a way to use a relatively small amount of a relatively expensive ingredient.
- Carbohydrate 34.4830354166667 g
- Cholesterol 83.9238541666667 mg
- Fat 5.70091354166667 g
- Fiber 0.68766664981842 g
- Protein 21.3894989583333 g
- Saturated Fat 2.68377583333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (194g)
- Sodium 661.281666666667 mg
- Sugar 33.7953687668482 g
- Trans Fat 0.930777708333333 g
- Calories 287 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook rotini according to package directions.
- Melt butter over medium heat and add garlic, onion and mushrooms.
- Saute until mushrooms start to soften.
- Add crab and sherry and continue to saute until crab is cooked, 3 or 4 minutes.
- Add cream and heat through.
- Drain pasta and add to sauce.
- Serve with grated fresh parmesan.
- If the dish seems a bit dry, drizzle a little olive oil over it.
Many cooks make the error of boiling delicate shellfish in plain water, which leaches flavor compounds into the pot rather than retaining them in the meat. Utilizing a low-fat dairy component like light cream at five percent fat requires careful heat control to prevent curdling when introduced to an acidic reduction of dry sherry. Butter melts over medium heat, providing enough milk solids to gently sweat sliced mushrooms and crushed garlic until cell walls break down and release moisture. Deglazing the pan with two tablespoons of sherry creates a foundational alcohol reduction that concentrates savory glutamates, whereas substituting white wine demands a higher volume to achieve equal acidity. Chopped crab meat requires only three to four minutes of direct pan contact to reach thermal safety without toughening its muscular protein strands. Rotini pasta acts as a structural anchor, its helical grooves trapping the emulsified sauce and small particles of green onion. Storing leftover portions in a sealed glass container within the refrigerator for up to forty-eight hours preserves the delicate seafood safety window, though reheating must occur gently over low heat to avoid rubbery textures in the shellfish.
