Crab is a delicious shellfish that can be prepared in many different ways While crab tastes great on its own, the right sauce can really take your crab dish to the next level When trying to determine the best sauce for crab, there are a few key factors to consider.
Complementing the Natural Flavor
The natural flavor of crab meat is delicate, sweet and briny. You want to choose a sauce that will complement these flavors instead of overpowering them. Rich and creamy sauces like aioli, beurre blanc and hollandaise work well as they accentuate the sweetness of the crab Light vinaigrettes also pair nicely to add some brightness without masking the crab’s signature taste.
Sauce Ingredients
Think about how the ingredients in the sauce will interact with the crab. Ingredients like lemon, garlic, shallots, parsley, chili peppers and mustard add layers of flavor that align well with crab. Avoid sauces with very strong flavors like barbecue sauce or ketchup that will detract from the crab.
Sauce Texture
The texture of the sauce is another important consideration. Thinner sauces like vinaigrettes, mignonette and some aiolis coat the crab while still allowing its texture to shine. Thicker sauces like beurre blanc and hollandaise cling nicely to the crab. Completely pureed sauces or salsas work best when used sparingly as a drizzle so they don’t overwhelm the chunky texture of the crab meat.
Cooking Method
Factor in how you are cooking or serving the crab when selecting your sauce. For boiled or steamed crab, aioli and vinaigrettes work nicely as dips. Drawn butter is the classic pairing for boiled crab legs and snow crab clusters. With crab cakes, a remoulade, tartar sauce or lemon aioli served on the side are fitting condiments. Baked or broiled crab pairs well with hollandaise or a simple lemon butter sauce.
Sauce Uses
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Aioli: This garlicky mayonnaise makes a versatile sauce or dip for crab. Plain aioli lets the crab flavor shine while flavored aiolis like saffron, lemon or chili complement crab beautifully.
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Beurre Blanc: A French butter sauce made with white wine and shallots is divine with crab. The velvety texture clings nicely to the crab.
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Remoulade: A mayo-based sauce flavored with mustard, capers, cornichons, herbs and other spices pairs exceptionally with fried crab cakes.
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Tartar Sauce: This creamy, tangy sauce goes well with fried crab dishes. The capers, pickles and herbs cut through the fried exterior.
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Mignonette: A versatile vinaigrette-style sauce made with vinegar, shallots, pepper and lemon provides a bright, acidic complement to raw crab dishes.
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Vinaigrettes: Simple vinaigrettes made with lemon, mustard or herbs make excellent crab dips and salads.
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Hollandaise: Rich and eggy hollandaise sauce is a crab lover’s dream, especially when generously spooned over crab Benedict.
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Drawn Butter: Melted butter is the simplest dipping sauce for boiled crab legs, allowing the sweet crab flavor to shine. Adding lemon, garlic or herbs amps up the flavor.
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Cocktail Sauce: This ketchup-based sauce with horseradish and lemon is ubiquitous with chilled crab claws and crab cakes for its tangy bite.
Best Overall Sauces for Crab
While the possibilities are endless, aioli, mignonette, beurre blanc and hollandaise tend to be the most complementary and versatile sauces to pair with fresh crab. Their flavors and textures accentuate crab in boiled, broiled, baked and fried preparations beautifully. Vinaigrettes are also excellent for crab salads. When in doubt, drawn butter with a squeeze of lemon allows the crab’s sweet flavor to take center stage. Experiment with different sauces to find your personal favorites to dip, drizzle and dunk delicious crab into.
How to make crab cake sauce
Even though this crab cake sauce has what seems like a lot of ingredients, it’s super simple to prep. What’s great about making this sauce at home is that you get a customizable sauce that you can make in under 5 minutes. All you have to do is gather your ingredients, place them in a mason jar (or mixing bowl), and stir.
Taste test your crab cake sauce and adjust from there. For more acidity, add more lemon; for more fattiness, add more mayonnaise; for more saltiness, add more mustard or creole seasoning. And of course, you could always add more heat to amp up the spice level.
When you’re prepping this simple sauce, keep in mind what you’re adding it on top of. For instance, if you’re dressing up crab cakes that are already fairly salty, lay off the saltiness in the remoulade to balance out the flavors.
What’s a remoulade sauce?
Crab cake sauce is a remoulade–this condiment is a basic mayo-based sauce that originated in France and is often compared to tartar sauce because of its mayonnaise base. Whereas tartar sauce was a seafood companion and made with pickles, remoulade was originally intended to be eaten with meat and made with vinegar, mustard, and/or horseradish.
These days, remoulade is often used as a general dipping sauce for seafood too and has different variations throughout the world. It is a cousin to shrimp sauce, and one of the most popular versions is Louisiana-style remoulade and it’s made with creole style mustard, creole seasoning, and/or hot sauce. It’s the best sauce for crab cakes, in po’boys, and with french fries.
This crab cake sauce recipe is a remoulade sauce similar to this New Orleans condiment and is super quick to whip up at home!
My brother’s seafood butter sauce
FAQ
What dressing goes best with crab?
Creamy Dressing: A blend of mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper is what makes this crab salad so delicious. You could even use old bay seasoning to kick it up a notch. And I highly recommend making mayo with this homemade mayonnaise recipe.
What is best served with crab?
My favorite accompaniments to crab include crusty sourdough bread and a fresh green salad or steamed vegetable. Other great side dish options include macaroni and cheese, steamed rice, angel hair pasta or even roasted potatoes.
What enhances the flavor of crab?
Consider pairing your crab with a side of melted butter, cocktail sauce, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to enhance the natural sweetness of the meat.May 26, 2024
What sauce goes best with seafood?
- Alfredo Sauce.
- Basil Tartar Sauce.
- Bearnaise Sauce.
- Bubba’s Cocktail Sauce.
- Butter Sauce.
- Cajun Tartar Sauce.
- Chilled Cucumber Sauce.
- Cocktail Sauce.