CRAB DERBY

On the eastern shores of Crisfield, Md., about four decades ago, a few lively, jumping hard-shell crabs were dumped in the center of a circle on the city’s Main Street. The crab that managed to scurry to the outer circle first garnered its happy owner a winning trophy.

That race was originally named the national hard-crab derby.

On Feb. 10, the 1986 Crab Derby was held at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. However, unlike the live crustacean race in Maryland, there was no crawling back to the sea for the West Coast Dungeness, king and snow crabs that jumped into the cooking pot at the crab cook-off. These heroic crustaceans had to become the most delectable, most original and most presentable entry in order to win their chef the derby grand prize.

Sponsored by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and assisted by the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission, the contest was held in conjunction with Sea Fare ’86. Chefs from the Century Plaza, Crown Plaza, Disneyland Hotel, Los Angeles Athletic Club, Patout’s Restaurant in Louisiana and the Salishan Lodge in Oregon entered their best crab dishes, each presenting a hot and a cold entry.

Steve Matson, sous chef of the Disneyland Hotel, won the overall cook-off award, which was the title of official executive chef for the Seafood USA Pavilion during an annual international food show in Paris in October. Representing the U.S. seafood industry, Matson and his colleague Carolyn Brask, chef garde manger, will fly to Paris with travel arrangements donated by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Northwest Airlines.

Although eye appeal and originality provide first impressions of a dish, taste carried Matson’s Chile Relleno Crab With Papaya Salsa to winning levels. Batter-puffed Anaheim chiles filled with a creamy crab and cheese mixture are enhanced with a chutney-like fresh salsa. An unusual accompaniment, the sweet little golden cubes of papaya with a faint hint of curry and cilantro make delicious sense in Matson’s tomato salsa.

The chef suggested serving the salsa at room temperature. However, contrary to that, we delighted in eating it cold with the steaming hot rellenos when the winning dishes were tested in The Times’ Test Kitchen recently.

Snowballs was the name given to a snow crab-rice mixture, which won first place in the cold foods category. Scoring high points in presentation, the dish was created by cold-food chef Carolyn Brask. Nesting in beds of lettuce, the aspic-glazed balls can be served as a salad or appetizer.

Without meaning to compete with the unbeatable taste of plain steamed crab and hot melted butter, the crab derby dishes offered variety, color and artful presentation. Noted was the augmentation of fresh vegetables, fruit, pasta and interesting sauces in many of the crab dishes to stretch out the seafood. Judging the crab entries were Roland G. Henin, corporate chef for Truitt Bros. Inc.; Heinz Johannes, executive chef of the Sutter Club in Sacramento; Steve Connolly, president of Connolly Seafood in Boston; Jo Ann Miner, food editor of the Orange County Register, and this writer.

Henin, who led the judging team, gave about 50% weight to presentation when computing scores. “You really eat with your eyes first,” he said. “The visual appearance already conditions your mind. . . . If the food looks awful, it’s going to take away from the taste, but if it looks good, you’re willing to try it.”

The judges wanted to get a dish with flavors that didn’t mask the natural sweet taste of the crab. Color harmony, good contrast and shape also counted, Henin said. To illustrate these factors, he pointed out some no-no’s while judging: a plate with broccoli and Chinese pea pods laid side by side rather than separated; a half-moon slice positioned on an appetizer plate without conforming with the round contour of the plate, and a hot crab dish floating in grease.

Texture’s Role

“Garnishes and vegetable accompaniments should be natural and edible, not just done for looks,” he said. Texture also plays a role. “Firm and soft textures should complement each other. Orientals have a good feel for this in their dishes.”

Running close in points to the first-place winner were Michael Shafer’s (Century Plaza) entries. Shafer’s Crab Feuillette With Saffron Cream was delicately luscious, whereas his Crab Salad With Sweet Pepper and Sesame rated good scores in texture and a wonderful play of colors. In entering the salad with its Chinese-style sweet-sour dressing, Shafer explained, “I wanted to give them something different rather than the usual Louie or mayonnaise type of seafood dressing.”

The overall third place went to Mario Sosa of Crown Plaza. The hot entree, Crab and Pasta Mariano, exhibited interesting flavors and textures in the crab sauce, which had shiitake mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of garlic. Sosa made a green pasta of cilantro puree, but he said any desired pasta or even steamed rice would be delicious. He also had a Crab and Tomato Roulade, the recipe of which we’re not providing here, since I felt it scored high more in presentation and looks than in taste and texture.

Winning Recipes

Following are the recipes that we feel are worthwhile sampling. The remaining winning recipes were too involved in preparation for the average home cook to try. You may use fresh, frozen or canned Dungeness, snow and king crab. Actually, the dishes will work well for any type of crab.

For lovers of the smaller blue crab, this Eastern delicacy may sometimes be found live in baskets in Chinese or Oriental markets. More good news learned at the Sea Fare convention is that fresh lump shelled blue crab meat, which is more common in the East, may soon be available for retail in California because they’re now hitting the restaurant market. Blue Crab Co. in Marina del Rey offers Gourmet’s Choice, a fresh crab product that is mechanically picked in Louisiana and flown to Los Angeles. The product cannot be frozen but it has a refrigerated shelf life of 14 to 18 days. For more information about the product, call the Blue Crab Co., (213) 305-8008.

Let it be said that the Crab Derby made winners of all the participating chefs, who, despite some noted disorganization from the derby organizer, managed to go beyond the perimeter and limitations of that derby circle, imaginatively stretching the flavors of the crab’s delicacy to more than an extravagant luxury.

CHILE RELLENO CRAB WITH PAPAYA SALSA (Steve Matson, Disneyland Hotel)

12 Anaheim chiles

1 cup cooked crab meat

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded Jack cheese

3 dashes hot pepper sauce

Juice of 1 lime

Salt

Dash white pepper

8 eggs, separated

1 cup flour

Oil

Papaya Salsa

Roast chiles by broiling until charred on all sides. Enclose in paper or plastic bag and steam 10 minutes. Peel off skins. Slit open each chile and scrape off seeds. Set aside.

Break up crab meat, then add mayonnaise, cheese, hot pepper sauce and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Stuff chiles with enough crab mixture so chiles can be closed. Set aside.

Whip 8 egg whites with 2 teaspoons salt until form firm peaks. Lightly fold in beaten egg yolks to form batter. Hold stems of chiles and roll in flour, then batter.

Heat about 1/8 inch of oil in large skillet. Fry stuffed chiles, about 2 at a time, until all sides are golden brown. Repeat with remaining chiles and more oil. Serve with Papaya Salsa. Makes 6 servings. Papaya Salsa

1 tablespoon oil

2 tablespoons diced red onion

1 tablespoon minced ginger root

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 medium papaya

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon minced cilantro leaves

Juice of 1 lime

Heat oil in small skillet. Saute onion, ginger and curry powder. Add tomatoes, papaya, salt, cilantro and lime juice. Mix thoroughly. Marinate at least 1 hour and serve at room temperature or chilled, if desired. Makes about 4 cups. CRAB SALAD WITH SWEET PEPPER AND SESAME (Michael Shafer, Century Plaza)

2 pounds steamed king crab leg meat, cut into diagonal strips

2 large sweet red peppers, cut into short, thin julienne strips

2 large yellow peppers, cut into short, thin julienne strips

1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, sliced thinly

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon chopped chives

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup oil

Salt, pepper

1 (6 3/4-ounce) package maifun (rice stick noodles)

Oil for deep-frying

1 head curly endive

Combine crab meat, red and yellow peppers and zucchini in large bowl. Stir together vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, chives, cilantro, sesame seeds, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add to crab mixture and allow to marinate 1 hour.

Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Fry noodles, a handful at a time, until snowy white and puffy. Drain on paper towels. Cool.

For individual servings, arrange heaping serving of crab salad on chilled plate with noodles. Garnish with endive. Makes 10 entree servings.

Note: Recipe may be cut in half for 5 servings. CRAB FEUILLETTE WITH SAFFRON CREAM (Michael Shafer, Century Plaza)

6 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons finely chopped shallot

1/4 cup small parisienned (scooped out with pea-size baller) carrots

1/4 cup small parisienned zucchini

1/4 cup small parisienned yellow squash

1 teaspoon finely chopped green onion

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Dash saffron

1/2 cup dry vermouth

1/4 cup whipping cream

Salt, pepper, optional

4 Dungeness crab claws

6 ounces king crab leg meat

2 baked puff pastry rounds or shells, optional

6 broccoli florets, blanched

8 Chinese pea pods, blanched

2 sprigs dill

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat. Saute shallot, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, green onion, parsley and saffron. Add vermouth and heat until reduced by half. Stir in whipping cream. Simmer until heated through.

Slowly swirl in remaining butter in small pieces, tilting pan occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add crab claws and crab meat just to heat. Do not overcook.

On 2 individual heated plates, serve crab entree with puff pastry shell, if desired, and arrange broccoli florets and pea pods on side. Garnish with dill sprigs. Makes 2 servings. CRAB AND PASTA MARIANO (Mario Sosa, Crown Plaza)

2 tablespoons butter

1 sweet red pepper, very thinly julienned

6 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups Crab Sauce

1 pound Dungeness crab meat, cooked (with crab juice reserved)

Salt, pepper

Cilantro Pasta or spinach fettuccine noodles, cooked and drained

Melt butter in skillet. Saute red pepper strips until tender-crisp. Add mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes and saute. Add garlic and Crab sauce. Simmer 1 minute. Stir in crab meat. Heat gently (do not overheat). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over Cilantro Pasta. Makes 6 servings. Crab Sauce

1/2 cup crab juice taken from crab meat

2 shallots, minced

1 cup white wine

1 quart whipping cream

Salt, white pepper

Combine crab juice, shallots and wine in saucepan. Place over medium heat and reduce by half. Blend in whipping cream. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened or reduced by 2 cups. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Makes 6 servings. Cilantro Pasta

1 bunch cilantro, hard stems removed

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

2 eggs

2 cups semolina flour

2 cups all-purpose flour, about

Place cilantro and 1/4 cup water in food processor and puree until smooth. Add eggs and blend. Add semolina and all-purpose flours, a little at a time, until stiff dough is acquired. Use remaining water or more flour if necessary to get right consistency (size of eggs and environmental moisture will vary). Put through pasta machine to make desired pasta thickness.