Recipe Spotlight: Versatile Alaska Crab is Good in Light Summer-Time Fare & Hearty Fall Boils

During the transition from summer to fall, what to eat can be as confusing as what to wear. Jacket or short sleeve shirt? Hearty soup or lighter fare?

Here are two recipes using Hy-Vee’s Responsible Choice Alaska crab to get you through the in-between season. One is light and fresh; the other is a hearty boil that uses of end-of-harvest sweet corn, potatoes and onions.

---

Alaskan Crab Lettuce Wraps

Makes 8 lettuce wraps.

All you need:

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp diced shallot
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Salad:

• 1 pound cooked crab meat, diced
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
• 1 mango, peeled and small diced
• 2 stalks celery, small diced
• 1/4 cup small diced red bell pepper
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 8 Bibb lettuce leaves from 1 head

All you do:

1. Whisk shallot, lemon juice, lime juice, olive oil and cilantro together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Combine crab meat, avocado, mango, celery, red bell pepper and green onions in another bowl.
3. Pour just enough dressing over the salad ingredients to lightly coat. Toss gently.
4. Place 2 tablespoons salad onto each lettuce leaf and roll in wraps. Serve immediately.

---

Louisiana Style Shrimp and Crab Boil

Serves 6 to 8.

All you need:

• 4 gallons water
• 2 heads garlic, unpeeled
• 5 fresh bay leaves
• 9 oz Zatarain’s dry crab boil
• 2 tbsp Zatarain’s liquid shrimp and crab boil
• 2 (12 oz each) bottles Baraboo Pale Ale
• 2 large oranges, halved
• 3 large lemons, halved
• 1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, washed
• 1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, washed
• 1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced on the bias every 2 inches
• 15 (3-inch) sections fresh sweet corn
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 pounds crawfish, thawed
• 1 pound Jonah crab claws, thawed
• 1 pound Alaska king crab claws, thawed
• 2 pounds Gulf shrimp, thawed
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• Lemon wedges and cocktail sauce, for serving

All you do:

1. Heat in a 10-gallon stockpot over high heat.
2. Add garlic, bay leaves, dry crab boil, liquid crab boil, beer, oranges and lemons. Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Add potatoes; cover and boil 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add sausage, sweet corn and onions to stockpot; cover and boil for 5 minutes.
5. Add crawfish, crab claws and shrimp; boil for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer all ingredients to an oversize platter or large baking sheet and serve with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce, if desired.