Crab Cocktail Sandwiches

In the Pacific Northwest we are extraordinarily lucky to have access to the best crab in the world – the Dungeness Crab! And my family is even more lucky to have a small boat that can take us out to harvest these beautiful creatures a few times a year.

If you have a good day and catch your limit (12 each) you should be prepared to deal with a lot of crab in a short amount of time. Our favorite thing to do (AFTER a proper crab-eating frenzy!) is to pick the meat from the rest and make a crab salad! Sometimes it is simple and I throw a handful of crab meat, black olives, celery, on a plate of lettuce and add thousand island dressing. And other times I get fancy and make this lovely crab cocktail salad.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tablespoon chives, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons cocktail or horseradish sauce
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce, optional
  
• 1 pound Dungeness crab, lump meat
• ¼ cup celery, diced

Add all but the crab and celery to a large bowl and whisk to make the dressing. Add the celery and crab (fresh/frozen lump meat is best, but shredded and/or imitation krab will also work). Gently fold into the dressing so the lumps maintain their shape. Let sit for an hour or so in the fridge (if you can stand to wait!) before serving. Serve with sprouts or lettuce on a hoagie roll/hot dog bun, or toast up on an English muffin with a slice of cheese on top for an amazing crab melt! It will only last a day or two in the fridge so don’t make more than you can eat in that time frame.

OPTIONAL: Depending on my mood and what is in my fridge, I might also add black olives, capers, bay shrimp, dill, boiled egg, or bacon bits… Just taste as you go, it’s easy to overwhelm the subtle flavor of the crab 🦀