Norfolk Style Crab Meat Recipe | Easy Seafood Cooking

To be honest with you, there is pretty much no cooking involved in this Norfolk-style seafood recipe. You’re simply assembling excellent ingredients together into a beautiful dish.

Traditionally, it is served with mashed potatoes, and I particularly love it with my Wasabi Mashed Potatoes recipe. It's vital you use the freshest crab meat for this to give you that natural sweet crab meat flavor.

Where did this recipe come from?

This Norfolk-style seafood recipe highlights the sweet, delicate flavors of fresh crab meat. Crab Norfolk is a classic American seafood dish that originates from the Norfolk region of Virginia, USA. This simple yet flavorful dish highlights the region's abundant supply of blue crabs, a staple of the Chesapeake Bay area.

With a name like Crab Norfolk, you can bet that this recipe is all about the crab. Fresh crabs are preferable, but you'll have to cook and deshell them, which can get messy. You can use canned crab meat, but I only recommend using a high-quality canned crab.

Luckily, here in Indonesia, we have wonderful canned blue crab meat where the meat is still naturally sweet and of high quality. I find many of the canned crab meat lack any flavor or texture reminiscent of freshly cooked crab.

The Crab Meat

You can literally use any part of the crab such as the brown crab meat, lump crab meat, the claw crab meat, or any of the white crab meat.

For this recipe, we'll focus on using jumbo lump crab meat, but feel free to explore different types like Dungeness crab or Cromer crab.

Equipment You Need

Frying pan

Ring mold to shape the crab mixture on your plate

Bowl to mix all the ingredients in

Crab Norfolk Recipe

The Ingredients

- 400 grams jumbo lump crabmeat

- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (14g)

- 50g unsalted butter

- 1 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice

- 1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (8g)

- 1 tsp sea salt (6g)

- 1 tsp black pepper (6g)

- Chives or garlic chives chopped finely (12g)

The Crab Norfolk Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Mix the Ingredients Together

In a bowl, mix together the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and hot sauce.

Step 2: Heat Butter

On medium-high heat, melt the butter in a large skillet. Add in the crab lumps to the butter along with the mixed sauce and chives. All you want to do here is heat up the crab and not cook it through. This should literally take no more than a minute.

Step 3: Assembly

Using a ring mold, use a spoon to fill the mold on a plate so you get a circular pattern. In my picture you can see that I have a layer of wasabi mashed potatoes on the first layer. If you want to go carb free then simply plate the crab ad you’re done.

If you’re using my mashed potatoes then build the dish as follows:

1. Bottom Layer: A layer of mashed potatoes.

2. Second Layer: A 2-centimeter layer of crab. Make sure to press everything down so that you have a compact crab cake. For alittle extra zing, serve with lemon wedges.

Don’t let the simplicity of this dish fool you, it’s definitely a hunger hug!

 What To Serve It With

- Wasabi Mashed Potatoes and Pico de Gallo: Potatoes at the bottom, then Pico de Gallo, and crab on top.

- Crusty Bread or Toast Points: Perfect for soaking up any extra sauce.

- Steamed Asparagus: A light, fresh side that complements the rich crab meat.

- Mixed Green Salad: Adds a refreshing contrast to the rich, savory crab and top it with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Variations and Tips

Other Crab Varieties: While jumbo lump crabmeat is fantastic, don’t hesitate to try other types like Dungeness crab or Cromer crab. Just make sure the crab is fresh to maintain that sweet flavor and don't forget to incorporate the brown meat as well. Just make sure to remove any bits of shell.

Storage: If you have any leftovers, store the crab mixture in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep well for a day or two, but fresh crab is always best enjoyed immediately.

Additional Flavors and Spices: Feel free to experiment with other spices. A bit of Old Bay seasoning can add a nice touch, or try incorporating some fresh herbs like dill or tarragon for a different twist.

This Norfolk-style crab recipe celebrates the natural sweetness of fresh, high-quality crab meat in the simplest, most satisfying way.

Whether you’re serving it as an elegant appetizer, topping a crisp salad, or making it the star of your main course, it’s guaranteed to impress. With just the right touch of seasoning, this dish brings a taste of coastal charm straight to your table