Alaskan Crab Fritters Recipe & Awesome Corn
April 10, 2020Alaskan Snow Crab and Corn Fritters
A fritter is essentially a dough that is mixed with some other ingredients and fried in oil. Fritters can be savory or sweet. Fritters date back as early as the Ancient Roman Empire, and virtually every geographic and cultural region has some form of fritter that is unique to that area. Donuts are also an adaptation of the fritter that has evolved over time. The Northeast has apple fritters and clam cakes, the south has corn fritters and the beignet. Alaskans are also famous for their variation of the fritter, the corn and crab fritter.
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Crab and Corn Fritters:
Crab fritters are similar to crab cakes, but instead of seared in oil, you fry crab and corn fritters in oil or a deep fryer. Like any regional favorite, the ingredients can vary from chef to chef as everyone likes to put their unique twist on their crab fritters recipes. For example, some people choose to make their crab cake fritters with Dungeness crab and jalapeno peppers. Others decide to make crab corn fritters with Alaskan king crab . You might even find other seasonal vegetables such as crab and zucchini fritters.
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We love to make our corn crab fritters with sweet red bell pepper and Alaskan Snow Crab . The bell pepper perfectly complements the sweet and salty flavor of the snow crab meat. Follow along as we go through our easy crab fritters recipe with you. Feel free to take this basic recipe and substitute your favorite vegetables or other spices for your twist on our fantastic corn and crab fritters. Once you master this recipe, you can even try and switch out the seafood for lobster fritters or even shrimp fritters.
Recipe: Alaskan Snow Crab Fritters:
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons of butter
- One small onion, finely diced
- 1/2 of a red bell pepper, finely diced
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced. Aim for about two tablespoons of minced garlic
- 1/2 cup of fine cornmeal
- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt (you may need less if your snow crab is salty)
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1/2 pound of Alaska Snow Crab Meat
- 1/2 cup of corn kernels (fresh or frozen). If using frozen, thaw and drain before using.
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
Directions:
- Heat butter in a large skillet of medium-high heat.
- Sauté onion and red bell pepper until the onion is just starting to become translucent.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds and then remove the pan from the heat. Set aside to let cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
- Add cooled vegetables to the milk and eggs.
- Add dry ingredients into the milk, eggs, and vegetables and stir until just combined.
- Fold in your snow crab, corn, and green onions. Be sure not to over mix, fold in until just combined.
- Refrigerate your batter for 30 minutes
- In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil to 360 degrees.
- In batches, drop your batter by spoonful into the oil. Do not overcrowd your oil or your fritters won't cook evenly.
- Fry your fritters until golden brown and cooked through, turning halfway through to be sure they cook on all sides—3-4 minutes per batch.
- Drain your cooked fritters on a paper towel and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauces.
Variations on Crab Fritters:
The foundation of a fritter is a dough or batter recipe that you combine with bits and pieces of other ingredients and then fry in oil. Fritters were a way for people to stretch the small amounts of meats and vegetables they had on hand into a full meal. Some seafood, such as lobster and shrimp, had not always been an expensive treat. In the early 20th century, Maine lobster was easy to come by. They even called it the poor man’s meat, and it was cheaper than canned baked beans. Lobster and corn fritters grew in popularity around this time but have since remained a popular treat.
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For a lobster and corn fitter recipe, you can follow along with our method above and substitute out lobster for the crab. Lobster corn fritters are just as delicious, especially when drizzled with clarified butter. You can even make a batch of gluten-free lobster fritters by substituting the regular flour for gluten-free flour.
Shrimp and Corn Fritters:
Another popular variation on our recipe is shrimp corn fritters, also known as Guam shrimp fritters. Guamanian Shrimp Fritters use frozen mixed vegetables in place of the bell pepper for a colorful and savory meal or appetizer. One other difference in a shrimp fritters Guam recipe is the use of evaporated milk for a rich flavor and moist inside texture. If you're going to make a shrimp fritters recipe, be sure to thaw and drain the mixed vegetables before making the fritters.
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The best thing about any fritter recipe is that there is no right way to make a fritter. Try any blend of seasonings to change up the flavors in your fritters. Don't forget to whip up some dipping sauces to go with your fritters!