Shellfish Recipes
There many different types of shellfish in the Northwest but before cooking them, make sure that the shellfish were harvested from an approved area. Shucked shellfish become plump and opaque when cooked thoroughly and edges of oysters start to curl. Clams and oysters in the shell will open when cooked. Crabs will turn red after boiling for about 20 minutes. Shellfish may become tough and dry when overcooked.
When preparing your meal it is essential to following safe food handling practices. For more information go to the section on Food Safety.
Capt. Clark
December 9th Monday 1805
Crossed in a Canoe & was invited to a lodge by a young Chief was treated great Politeness, we had new mats to Set on, and himself and wife produced for us to eate, fish, Lickorish, & black roots, on neet Small mats, and Cramberries & Sackacomey berris, in bowls made of horn, Supe made of a kind of bread made of berries common to this Countrey which they gave me in a neet wooden trencher, with a Cockle Shell to eate it with It began to rain and with a tremendious storm from the S. W. which lasted untill 10 oClock P M.
Crabs
Clams
Oysters
Dungeness Crab Cakes
Number of Servings - 4
Ingredients:
2 large Dungeness crabs (cooked) - approx. 1 pound
2 scallions - minced
1 stalk of celery - minced
5 sprigs of cilantro parsley - minced
1 egg - lightly beaten
2 teaspoons mustard with cracked pepper
2 tablespoons Miracle Whip
1/2 fresh lemon (juice only)
1 package Kikkoman Panko bread crumbs
Directions:
In a large bowl mix together:
Scallions
Celery
Parsley
Egg
Mustard
Miracle Whip
Lemon juice
Remove crab meet from the shell - be sure to remove all pieces of shell.
Add crab meat to the bowl and toss lightly still leaving large pieces of crab meat.
Make 8 small cakes and place them on a plate with Panko crumbs
Coat each crab cake with crumbs.
Place in a medium hot large skillet with butter and olive oil.
Brown both sides - 3 minutes each side.
Notes & Variations:
Serve with coleslaw or a mixed green salad and warm French bread slices.
Contributor: Roxetta Wyer, RRGC
Anecdote:
These are delicious moist crab cake that are far superior to those made from Chesapeake Bay blue crabs.
Creamy Crab Macaroni Bake
Number Served: 4
Ingredients:
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons mayo
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
4 ounces shredded crab meat
1 cup elbow macaroni, cooked
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray small baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine cottage cheese, broth, lemon juice, mayo and dill in food processor.
Process until smooth and set aside.
Heat oil in small skillet and add celery and onions. Stir frequently and cook unit tender.
Stir in crab, cooked macaroni and vinegar.
Cook 2 minutes and then stir in cottage cheese mixture.
Spoon into baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Notes & Variations:
Contributor: Bob Kolowith, RRGC
Crabmeat Casserole
Number Served: 4
Ingredients:
3-4 cups crabmeat (cooked)
3 cans (10 3/4 oz.) mushroom soup
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, sauteed
Buttered bread crumbs
Directions:
Put soup and cheese into double boiler until cheese is melted.
Add celery salt, green pepper, mushrooms and crabmeat.
Pour into a casserole dish and cover top with crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
Notes & Variations:
Cooked lobster or halibut may also be used.
Contributor: Bob Kolowith, RRGC
Clam Chowder 1877
Chop fifty clams, peel and slice ten raw potatoes, cut into dice six onions and half pound fat salt pork, slice six tomatoes (if canned use a coffee-cup full), add a pound pilot crackers; first put pork in bottom of pot and fry, partially cook onions in pork-fat, remove the mass from pot, and put on a plate bottom side up; make layers of the ingredients, season with pepper and salt, cover with water and boil an hour and a half, adding chopped parsley to taste.
Recipe from Buckeye Cookery, published 1877
Fried Clams
Number of Servings: Varies
Ingredients:
1 limit of clams (15)
3 eggs
1 cup of flour
1 cup of cracker crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Rinse clams, drain, dip in flour, egg, and roll in cracker crumbs. Using high heat, fry in 1/4 inch oil in pan. Brown quickly for one minute or until brown per side. Take out and lay out on paper towels to absorb any grease, then serve.
Contributor: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Clam Chowder
Number of Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons diced bacon or salt pork
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced raw potatoes
2 cups water
1 pint clams ground or chopped and liquid
1 can evaporated milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Directions:
Saute pork or bacon until crisp. Remove scraps from pan and reserve for use later as a garnish. Add chopped onion to hot fat, saute until tender but do not brown. Combine cooked onion and diced potatoes in a deep saucepan. Add water, bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are done. Stir in clams and all other ingredients. Heat until piping hot, but do not boil.
Contributor: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Razor Clam Fritters
Number of Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped razor clams (reserve the liquid)
1 bottle flat beer
1 1/2 cup pancake mix
6 green onions - cut very thin, use greens
1/2 green pepper - cut very thin
1 stalk celery - cut very thin
Directions:
Mix onions, celery, green pepper and pancake mix together. Add clams and juice to other ingredients, then add beer till you have a very thick mixture that can be dropped from spoon into hot oil at 375 degrees F. You may not need all the beer because of the clam juice. Drop by spoonful in oil - cook 2 min. per side - test, if not cooked- drop by smaller spoonfuls.
Contributor: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Spaghetti & Clam Sauce
Number of Servings: Varies
Ingredients:
1-1 1/2 cup clams -grind about 6 big razor clams (reserve the liquid)
1 cup dry white wine, very dry sherry or vermouth.
1 cup chopped onions
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup. olive oil
1-2 teaspoon oregano
1-2 teaspoon basil
3 tablespoon Romano or Parmesan cheese (grated)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons parsley if you use dried - 1 cup if you use fresh-chopped
1 package spaghetti noodles cooked
Directions:
Saute onion and garlic (crushed) in butter and oil combined until almost tender. Add spices. Combine wine and clam juice and add it at this point - simmer to reduce some liquid then pour in the clams, parsley and cheese. Simmer for a few minutes to warm up clams. Add salt and pepper. Pour the whole pan of sauce on your cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle on more cheese as desired.
Contributor: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Smoked Razor Clams
Number of Servings: Varies
Ingredients:
1 limit of razor clams (cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup oil
1 tablespoon Liquid smoke
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Directions:
Combine and stir oil and seasonings, then add clams. Bake on cookie sheet or in shallow pan at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Stir and drain frequently, saving juice. Store clams and juice in air-tight container. Will keep in refrigerator 2-3 weeks.
Contributor: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
1803 To Fry Oysters
You must make a batter of milk, eggs, and flour; then take your oysters and wash them; wipe them dry, and dip them in the batter, then roll them in some crumbs of bread and a little mace beat fine, and fry them in very hot butter or lard.
Or, beat four eggs with salt, put in a little nutmeg grated, and a spoonful of grated bread, then make it as thick as batter for pancakes with fine flour; drop the oysters in, and fry them brown in clarified beef suet. They are to lie round any dish of fish. Oysters boiled tender, blanched, and cut in pieces, then fried in such batter, is proper to garnish hashes or fricassees.
Complete Woman Cook 1803
Aunt Nell's Scalloped Oysters
Number of Servings: 6
Ingredients:
3 cups medium-coarse cracker crumbs
3/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 pints oysters, drained (save juice)
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pepper
1 to 1 1/2 cup cream
Directions:
Toss together the cracker crumbs and butter.
In a greased oblong pan, layer 1/3 of the crumbs, half the oysters, pepper, 1/3 crumbs, remainder of oysters, and pepper.
Cover with oyster liquid and enough cream to make 1 1/2 cups.
Stir in salt and Worcestershire sauce before adding to oyster mixture.
Top with remaining crumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Notes & Variations:
Contributor: Aunt Nell's Kitchen Cookbook/Mary Franzoia
Anecdotes:
Aunt Nell Hackett of La Cygne, Kansas dedicated her cookbook to family and friends. She became a homemaker in 1924 and collected many recipes. Some were new and others were treasured old ones, tried and true.
Oyster BBQ
Number Served: 2-4
Ingredients:
12 fresh oysters (in shell)
1/4 cup butter
1 bottle white wine
1 tablespoon hot yellow mustard (optional)
Directions:
Start charcoal grill and let coals burn down to low heat.
Melt butter in sauce pan, add 1/4 cup of wine, warm and set aside.
Add wet Alder wood chips to coals. When chips begin to smoke put oysters on grill.
Cook until shell opens. Remove shells from grill.
Remove oysters from shell and dip in butter wine sauce.
Serve oysters with your favorite white wine.
Notes & Variations:
This recipe makes a fine hors d'oeuvres while waiting for the main course.
A hot yellow mustard can be added to the sauce.
A fine Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc are great with BBQ oysters.
Contributor: Bob Kolowith, RRGC