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Feed your wild side with Alaskan king crab beignets

Try them along with fall herb salad and roasted kabocha squash soup

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Video: Be crabby with these 3 elegant and easy recipes

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    >>> this morning in "today's kitchen step by step" we're feeling crabby. crab puffs three ways.

    >> speak for yourself.

    >> not crabby. the chef and co-owner within the wild adventure company in alaska , kirsten, good morning.

    >> great to be here.

    >> good to have you here. your family is in san francisco but you all moved out to alaska . what brought you there?

    >> i've been in alaska for a very long time.

    >> yes.

    >> i brought you a souvenir.

    >> oh. and this is, how much does this thing weigh?

    >> about a ten-pound crab.

    >> my goodness. that's alaskan king crab .

    >> that's right.

    >> i imagine that's on your menu a lot.

    >> yes. i own with my family three wilderness lodges and also a cooking school and we're going to do a recipe today that our guests love.

    >> okay. we're doing crab puffs three ways.

    >> yes.

    >> this is the hardest part.

    >> this is a little intimidating for people. any tips?

    >> you usually don't see this in a grocery store but you'll see this. the easiest thing to do is take a pair of scissors and cut up through the softer part of the shell and just pop it open.

    >> they're already cooked or steamed?

    >> yes. usually already cooked.

    >> so then air getting it nice and do you make it in little pieces?

    >> let's talk about our recipe. we're going to deep fry a dough. this is a really fun dough. we can prepare it a couple different ways.

    >> we've got butter in there.

    >> in here is chicken stock and butter. we'll add in some flour and a little nut meg and stir that up. you want to stir it up for me?

    >> sure thing.

    >> we actually cook this dough for a couple minutes. we don't have time to cook it completely what's going on over here?

    >> this is some hot oil . we'll actually take our dough when it's done. in our dough we add in one egg and at a time. we add four eggs. so the dough is already done and in this particular version we're going to add in some of our alaska king crab .

    >> okay.

    >> we'll add in a little cheese .

    >> we have a minute left. let's make sure we get to all of our recipes. this is the finished product.

    >> adding in some cheese.

    >> chives. and then we'll just take this dough and drop it into our oil. that's what it looks like.

    >> how long do we keep it there?

    >> a couple minutes.

    >> okay.

    >> let me show you.

    >> sorry to rush you along.

    >> that's okay.

    >> live tv.

    >> this is the same exact dough baked. take a bite.

    >> it looks delicious. this is a gouge, a french term.

    >> delicious.

    >> we're serving it with salad.

    >> a little fall salad.

    >> and also the dumplings, right?

    >> yes. we made a beautiful dumpling. then we made a dumpling from the same dough.

    >> delicious. the dough can work in so many different ways. a lot of different applications. kirsten dixon, thanks so much. good to have you here.

    >> thank you.

    >> more of her recipes on today show.com. we'll be back

    Show transcript

TODAY recipes
updated 9/15/2011 5:08:07 PM ET 2011-09-15T21:08:07

Kirsten Dixon, chef and co-owner of Within The Wild Adventure Company, has spent more than 20 years cooking in the backcountry of Alaska. With these three recipes, she offers a way to bring the flavor and excitement of the Alaskan wilderness into your kitchen.

Recipe: Alaska king crab beignets (on this page) Recipe: Fall herb salad with toasted hazelnuts and crab gougères (on this page) Recipe: Roasted kabocha squash soup with poached crab dumplings (on this page)
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Recipe: Alaska king crab beignets

Ingredients
  • Canola oil for frying
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup gruyere cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated (plus extra for dusting the finished beignets)
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chives
  • 1/2 pound Alaska crab meat
Preparation

Add the canola oil to an electric deep fryer or deep sided saucepan about half way up. Bring the oil to 350 degrees F. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, chicken stock, and salt and bring this mixture to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in the bread flour and ground nutmeg. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, stir until the dough is formed and is smooth and shiny. Return the pan to the heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan, about 2 minutes.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add in the grated cheese, pepper to taste, and the minced chives. Fold in the crab meat.

Drop the dough by tablespoons into a small deep fryer (or a saucepan filled half-way with oil). Remove the beignet with a slotted mesh spoon after 2-3 minutes and golden brown. Drain the beignets on paper toweling. Sprinkle with medium-grain sea salt and the extra parmigiano-reggiano.

Serving Size

Serves 24

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Recipe: Fall herb salad with toasted hazelnuts and crab gougères

Ingredients
  • 4 cups arugula
  • 1 cup flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/2 cup mixed herbs (such as basil, thyme, oregano)
  • 1/2 cup grape seed oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Preparation

Wash and dry the greens and herbs completely. Combine the arugula, parsley, and mixed herbs in a medium mixing bowl. Just coat the greens with the grape seed oil and splash on the apple cider vinegar to taste. Season the greens with the salt and pepper.

Place some of the greens in the center of a small plate. Sprinkle with some of the toasted hazelnuts and red onion. Top the salad with two small baked gougères (made with the same dough as the beignets).

For the baked gougère: Quenelle or pipe some of the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the gougères about 1 inch apart for room to rise. Put the baking sheet into the oven preheated to 400 degrees F. and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes (this will vary depending on how large or small your puffs are). They should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

Serving Size

Serves 4

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Recipe: Roasted kabocha squash soup with poached crab dumplings

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 leek, trimmed, washed, and sliced
  • 2 cups roasted kabocha squash meat
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
Preparation

Heat the oil in a deep sided skillet. Add in the garlic and leek and sauté over low heat until the leek is tender, about 5 minutes. Add in the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Puree the soup using a stick blender.

Add in the heavy cream and heat for 5 more minutes. Serve the squash soup in a shallow wide bowl and place two poached crab dumplings (made with the same dough as the beignets) on top of the soup.

For the poached dumplings: Bring about 4 cups of chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water to a boil. Reduce the heat to just below a simmer (between 160 to 185 degrees F.) Allow the dumplings to poach for about 2 minutes. The dumpling should be firm and cooked through. Remove the dumpling from the liquid and place into desired soup.

Serving Size

Serves 4

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© 2012 MSNBC Interactive

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