Food Foray # 2.2

If you missed it, this is the follow-up post to Food Foray # 2.1.

Last week, I pulled the meat out of two cooked King crab legs to make a crab manicotti appetizer for a Holiday Dinner At Home with Barry’s daughters.

While the appetizer turned out okay, I think I’m gonna keep playing with the ingredients to lighten it up a bit. In the meantime, this will go into the test kitchen with some other things we’re working on.

Notes for next time:

• Sauce: Lighten with cream, add vodka or brandy (or try béchamel sauce)
• Aromatics: Add basil
• Meat: Add lobster in one trial; shrimp in another
• Leave manicotti whole and serve as main course with braised spinach and shallots (or add spinach into manicotti) or roasted asparagus

Please let me know if you have any suggestions; thanks! [K]

Crab Manicotti

~ Serves ~

4-8

~ Ingredients ~

• 2 cooked King crab legs (8 oz. meat)
• 1 leek / shallot
• ¼ cup ricotta
• ¼ cup asiago
• 1 small egg yolk
• Salt and pepper
• ½ small onion
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ tbsp. olive oil
• 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
• ½ tsp. fresh oregano or ¼ tsp. dried oregano
• 6 manicotti shells (assuming some will be unused)
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella
• Minced parsley, for garnish

~ Preparation ~

Preparation Time: 60 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cook manicotti al dente according to package directions.
3. Mince 3 tbsp. leeks or shallots. If there’s any leftover, add to onions in step 3.
4. Chop onion and garlic clove and sauté in olive oil for 10 minutes. Add oregano and tomato sauce and cook additional 10 minutes. Meanwhile:
5. Remove crab meat from shells and shred into small lumps. Place in prep bowl and mix with ricotta, asiago, egg yolk and salt and pepper; set aside.
6. When manicotti is cooked, let cool and cut into thirds. Some will break; you can discard those. Stuff 9 manicotti shells with the crab mixture and place into oiled 9 x 9 glass baking dish. Pour tomato sauce on top, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake for 15 minutes.
7. After 15 minutes, turn oven to broil for last 3-5 minutes. Remove when cheese is browned. Garnish with minced parsley and serve immediately.

Crab and tomato sauce; thumbs up or thumbs down?

Tagged as: Asiago, Crab, Mozzarella, Oregano, Tomato