Leek, Potato, and Green Crab Soup

leek, potato, and green crab soup

 

Recently Dr. Becca Selden, from the Department of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College in Massachusetts invited me for a green crab cooking demo. I made 2 simple soups and both were well received by those who attended. I am glad I left the campus with empty pots! One of them is this leek, potato, and green crab soup using half green crab stock and half chicken stock. I don't like to waste food so if the leek has some greens on it I usually use it for extra fiber and color. If you prefer a thicker soup then decrease the amount of stock use to blend and gradually add more to the consistency you like. It's easier to thin it later. You certainly can make this using all green crab stock.

Leek, Potato, and Green Crab Soup

Ingredients: 

1 large leek or 2 small, cut lengthwise, sliced, washed and drained

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 C chicken stock

2 C Basic Green Crab Stock

1 C heavy cream or half and half

About 1 to 1 1/2 tsp salt 

Method:

Saute leek in oil and butter over medium high heat until the leek is tender and soft, about 10-15 minutes. Boil the potato in chicken broth until fork tender. Puree leek, potato, chicken broth, and crab stock to the smoothness that you prefer. Add cream, season with salt, and cook at medium low heat until everything is heated through. Whisk to blend. May garnish with a drizzle of cream, a pinch of ground black or white pepper, chopped chives, or anything you prefer.

Basic Green Crab Stock

basic green crab stock

I have posted a few green crab stocks with ingredients besides green crabs and water. This particular basic stock is made with just 2 ingredients, green crabs and water. When I make my stock I avoid adding salt unless I plan on using it immediately. You can make any stock as concentrated as you prefer. If you make a concentrated stock then you will need less water, which to me means less storage space in the refrigerator or freezer. In general my green crabs to water ratio is about 15 crabs for 2-6 cups of water. These green crabs vary in size so my water will depend on this and how concentrate I prefer. Don't be afraid to experiment. Most of the time I clean the crabs, crush them and add water. I don't focus on any particular crab to water ratio and I hope you don't either. You may also check out these posts: How to Process Green Crabs Humanely, How to Prepare Green Crabs for Making Stock, Simple Green Crab Stock, and Green Crab Stock For Chowders.

Basic Green Crab Stock 

Ingredients:

Crabs

Water

Method:  

Remove the carapace, gills, apron and mouth from each crab. Wash well in cold to remove all the mud and sand. Crush the crabs, put them in a large pot and add water. Boil gently and stir occasionally for about 25-30 minutes. Strain right away or let it cool and strain. Before using may add more water if the stock is too concentrated for your taste. May compost the shells.

 

Butternut Squash and Green Crab Soup

butternut squash and green crab soup

It has been a long time since I posted anything on this blog. I am still working full-time as a family nurse practitioner at the clinic seeing patients. Despite the long hours I managed to stay healthy perhaps due to eating a copious amount of green crabs! 😃

Recently Dr. Becca Selden, from the Department of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College in Massachusetts invited me for a green crab cooking demo. I made 2 simple soups for the students and faculty to try. I was pleased and impressed to see so many students excited about eating green crabs! One of the soups was a butternut squash and green crab soup. I made it using coconut milk instead of dairy in case anyone was lactose intolerant. Luckily no one there had any food allergy or issues which made me very happy.

Butternut Squash and Green Crab Soup

Ingredients:

 

1 butternut squash (about 2 1/2 to 3 lbs)

Olive oil 

1 head of garlic

1 small white or yellow onion

3 1/2 to 4 C Basic Green Crab Stock (see recipe below)

1 C coconut milk

About 1/2 tsp salt to taste

About 1/2 tsp white or black pepper to taste

Coconut Drizzle (see recipe below) 

Method:

Peel and cut the butternut squash in half. Remove and discard the seeds. Slice the squash about 1/2 inch thick. Line in a single layer on a cookie sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Wrap the whole garlic in foil (may drizzle with oil if interested). Roast the squash and garlic in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F until the squash is fork tender, about 25-30 minutes. May broil for the last 5-10 minutes if interested. Peel and dice the onion. Saute the onion in a little olive oil until translucent and soft. Puree the roasted butternut squash, roasted garlic, sauteed onion, broth and coconut milk. Heat the pureed mixture until hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well to blend and serve hot with some coconut drizzle (see recipe below).

 

Coconut Drizzle

Ingredients:

 

Approximately 1 Tbsp of cornstarch 

Approximately 1 Tbsp water 

1/2 C coconut milk

Pinch of salt

Method: 

Mix the cornstarch and water until well blended. Cook this with coconut milk and salt. Whisk to blend. Drizzle over the butternut squash and green crab soup to garnish.

I have posted a few green crab stocks with ingredients besides green crabs and water. This particular basic stock is made with just 2 ingredients, green crabs and water. When I make my stock I avoid adding salt unless I plan on using it immediately. You can make any stock as concentrated as you prefer. If you make a concentrated stock then you will need less water, which to me means less storage space in the refrigerator or freezer. In general my green crabs to water ratio is about 15 crabs for 2-6 cups of water. These green crabs vary in size so my water will depend on this and how concentrate I prefer. Don't be afraid to experiment. Most of the time I clean the crabs, crush them and add water. I don't focus on any particular crab to water ratio and I hope you don't either. You may check out these posts: How to Process Green Crabs Humanely, How to Prepare Green Crabs for Making Stock, Simple Green Crab Stock, and Green Crab Stock For Chowders.

Basic Green Crab Stock 

Ingredients:

Crabs

Water

Method:  

Remove the carapace, gills, apron and mouth from each crab. Wash well in cold to remove all the mud and sand. Crush the crabs, put them in a large pot and add water. Boil gently and stir occasionally for about 25-30 minutes. Strain right away or let it cool and strain. Before using may add more water if the stock is too concentrated for your taste. May compost the shells.

Quick Green Crab Noodle Soup

This quick green crab noodle soup is made using Basic Rehydrated Green Crab Stock. You can also use other stocks (Simple Green Crab Stock or Green Crab Stock for Chowders) that I have on this blog. This noodle soup recipe is made for 1 portion but may be adjusted to double or more. This dish is versatile and easily adaptable, use what you have or prefer. Let your imagination and food preference dictate what you add to this soup.

quick green crab noodle soup

Quick Green Crab Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh egg noodles
Approximately 2 cups of green crab stock
Some ground pork (amount depending on your preference)
1 handful of fresh watercress, washed well
1-2 dried baby sugar kelp, cut into approximately 1-inch lengths
Fish sauce to taste
Some chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Some chopped scallions

Method:

Blanch the fresh egg noodles for a few minutes to cook and soften, strain, and place in a large bowl. Heat the stock with the meat. Once the meat is cooked add the vegetables. Season with fish sauce. Once the vegetables are just wilted remove from heat and pour over the noodles. Garnish with cilantro and scallions.

Helpful Hints: 

Here are a few ingredients that I like to add to this type of noodle soup.

Noodles: Egg noodles, bean thread glass noodles, rice noodles.

Vegetables: Watercress, spinach, stinging nettle, lamb's quarter, bok choy, fiddlehead, ramp, sprout, seaweed, asparagus, bean, pea, carrot, daikon, mushroom.

Protein: tofu, egg, seafood, meat.

Garnish: herbs, scallions, microgreens, fried shallots, fried garlic, pickled radish, pickled mustard greens, chili peppers.

How to Compost Green Crabs

How to Compost Green Crabs

Every time I hear someone compost perfectly edible items I cringe because I don't like to see, hear, or read about wasted food. I believe in consuming what you can first and only compost what is inedible after. This same concept goes for the invasive green crabs. Just like anything, there are many different methods to compost matters but this short post is about how I compost green crabs. After returning home from the dock with a bucket of crabs I would spend some time preparing them by removing the carapace, apron, gills, and mouthparts to discard. Please check out How to Prepare Hard-Shell Green Crabs post for further details and tutorials. I save the bodies and roe separately for cooking. The discarded parts would be boiled for about 5 minutes, just long enough to cook them. The reason I devote in this extra 5-minute step is to decrease the stench of decaying shellfish and to prevent attracting animals and insects to my outdoor compost container. I would empty the cooked discarded parts and liquid in my home-made recycled compost receptacle--made from an old wooden cabinet minus the back and a door. It lies open to the ground and the top covers with a wire mesh nailed to a wooden frame heavy enough to prevent it from blowing away or having it knocked over by most animals. I say most because we do have an occasional bear visiting in the area (New Hampshire). One of our neighbors is known to have frequent conversations with bears! My husband saw a black bear recently while driving so they are definitely around!

Do add a little soil to the container for the worms to be happy. These worms are usually well fed and large, great for fishing bait! And about once or twice a month turn the organic material inside in order for the items to break down more evenly.

discarded inedible crab parts

boiling discarded crab parts

DIY compost bin

Sauteed Cabbage, Tomato and Stinging Nettle

I normally make this dish with just cabbage, tomato, meat, and water or chicken stock. This time I added a large handful of stinging nettles that I harvested for extra nutrients, texture, and color. Use however many tomatoes you prefer. I love fresh tomatoes so I used 3 medium-sized ones. You may use ground or thin slices of meat such as pork, turkey, or chicken for this dish. You may use either stock from dried crabs or fresh crabs.

Be sure to harvest stinging nettle with gloves and proper harvesting clothing (i.e., pants, socks, closed shoes, long-sleeved shirt, and etc.) as they do sting! Please eat only wild plants that you can positively identify. If you have any health problems or are taking any medicines (prescription, over-the-counter or herbal supplement) please consult with your health care providers before eating any wild edible plants.

Here are a few links on stinging nettle.

Stinging Nettle: Uses and Risks - WebMD
Nettle - Drugs.com
Stinging nettle - Penn State Hershey    

sauteed cabbage, tomato and stinging nettle

Sauteed Cabbage, Tomato, and Stinging Nettle

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
4 oz ground pork
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped or minced
1/2 medium-sized cabbage, roughly chopped or sliced into bite-size, washed and drained
1 recipe of the Basic Rehydrated Green Crab Stock (see recipe below)
A large handful of stinging nettle tips, washed well and drained
2-3 tomatoes, cut into 6-8 pieces
2 beef bullion cubes
Fish sauce

Method:

Saute pork in oil until just cooked. Add garlic and saute until the garlic is soft. Add cabbage and green crab broth, cook until the cabbage is wilted. Add stinging nettles and tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the stinging nettles are wilted. Season with beef bullion cubes and fish sauce. Serve with rice.

Basic Rehydrated Green Crab Stock

Ingredients:

1 cups of water
1/8 cup dried crushed green crabs

Method:

Heat these two ingredients until the water comes to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and discard the shells.

Stinging Nettle Potato Soup

Recently I discovered stinging nettle growing wildly here in New Hampshire. I have heard about these nutritious plants but I have never encountered them in the wilderness. Be sure to harvest them with gloves and proper harvesting clothing (i.e., pants, socks, closed shoes, long-sleeved shirt, and etc.) as they do sting! Please eat only wild plants that you can positivity identify. If you have any health problems or are taking any medicines (prescription, over-the-counter or herbal supplement) please consult with your health care providers before eating any wild edible plants.

You can drizzle a little cream or coconut milk to this soup if interested. If you do not have or prefer not to use fish sauce then just add more salt or chicken bouillon to season this soup. For this recipe, I double my Basic Rehydrated Green Crab Stock. For a faster way to cook potato, slice it as thinly as possible.
 

stinging nettle potato soup

Stinging Nettle Potato Soup

Ingredients:

Basic Rehydrated Green Crab Stock (double the recipe)   
1 large russet potato, peeled and sliced thinly, rinsed and drained
2 large handful of stinging nettle tips, washed well and drained
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
Chives flowers and leaves, garnish (optional)

Method:

Make the crab broth, strain, and reserve the broth. In a medium-sized pot add the potato and cook until soft, drain the liquid. Add the crab broth and stinging nettle tips to the cooked potato, cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and fish sauce. Turn off heat and let everything slightly cool before pureeing or blending everything. Garnish with chive flowers and chopped leaves.

stinging nettle

stinging nettle field

Basic Rehydrated Green Crab Stock

This basic green crab stock or broth is made from dried green crabs. Increase or decrease the ratio of ingredients to make more or less stock. You may add more crabs if you prefer a more concentrated broth. Before adding the dried crabs in the water you may crush them further using a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin to extract the most flavor out of them. This stock is very basic. You may add extra ingredients such as dried squid, dried shrimp, bonito flakes, animal or fish bones, seaweed, mushrooms, onion, scallions, ginger, cilantro stems/roots, carrots, parsnip, daikon, and celery for more flavors. I generally do not season my stock or broth as I will add it later in the final stage of cooking. My seasoning includes one or several of these ingredients; salt, fish sauce, soy sauce, fresh or dried beef, chicken, or mushroom stock. 

dried green crab stock

  
Basic Rehydrated Green Crab Stock

Ingredients:

2 cups of water
1/4 cup dried green crabs

Method:

Heat these two ingredients until the water comes to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer for 20-25 minutes. Strain and discard the shells.

Dried Green Crabs

The idea of drying green crabs has been an interest of mine since I started crabbing. I wanted to store the crabs at room temperature instead of freezing for longer shelf life, and not have to rely on electricity or a freezer. The dried crabs can be simmered in water to make a nice broth or sauce. From a recent experiment, I learned that crushing frozen prepared green crabs is less messy. It is best to crush the crabs well. The smaller the bits the faster they will dry. It is very important the crab bits are completely dried to prevent mold growth. After 4 hours at 200 degrees F if your crab bits are not completely dry then bake longer at 200 degrees F. When you are ready to use crush them a little more to extract as much flavor as possible out of them.

Please view How to Prepare Hard-Shell Green Crabs post to process these crabs prior to drying. It is not necessary to remove the roe or the distal pointy legs. The roe will add extra flavor for your broth or stock.

dried green crabs

Dried Green Crabs

Ingredients:

Green crabs, prepared (fresh or frozen), crushed

Method:

Crush the prepared green crabs, spread the crab bits on a cookie pan thinly. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, then 200 degrees F for 4 hours or until dried. Once cooled store in a glass jar or an airtight container.

Miso Soup

I hope all of you are staying healthy and safe during this coronavirus pandemic. I have been meaning to post a miso soup recipe on this blog but have not had a chance until now. This miso soup is delicious and I contribute this to the savory broth made from no other than the invasive green crabs! If you have green crab stock in the freezer you may use 5-6 cups for this recipe. You may use Simple Green Crab Stock but triple that amount to yield 6 cups. This time I made this broth with just crushed crabs and water. I also discovered that crushing the frozen prepared crabs in a bag with a rock outside is a lot less messy and smelly versus thawed or fresh ones! You may use dried seaweed if you do not have any fresh or frozen. However, start by hydrating a small amount of dried seaweed as they will expand and add more only if needed. Always rinse your dried store-bought seaweed with water before using it.

miso soup

Miso Soup

Ingredients:

About 10 oz of prepared crabs, crushed
6 cups of water
3-3 1/2 Tbsp of miso
16 oz firm tofu, cut into small cubes (size depending on your preference)
3 oz fresh or frozen baby sugar kelp, cleaned and cut into bite-size (about 1-inch pieces)
1-2 scallions, green parts only, chopped

Method:

Simmer crushed crabs in water for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat and strain, reserve the broth. Wash the pot or use another clean pot. Add the strained broth in the pot and turn heat up to a simmer. Add miso and dissolve it. After the miso has dissolved add the rest of the ingredients. It will be done once the tofu cubes have been heated through.