Summer Vacation II: Great State of Maine and Crab Rolls

Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats
Summer Vacation I - New York and Street Chicken and Rice

Maine Crab Roll

After we went to New York this summer, we decided to head up the coast to Maine. Ken and I both love New England — he spent part of his childhood there, and we met in college there. I’m a total California girl, but the other place I really feel at home is New England.

Neither of us had ever been to Maine, though I had been fascinated with it since I was a child. To a kid growing up in Los Angeles, nothing is quite so exotic as the Pine Tree State. We rented a darling little cottage with a water view, no cell service, and a lot of peace.

And here’s the thing about Maine — it’s exactly how you imagine it to be.

Edward Hopper-esque lighthouses:
August 2012 East Coast Trip 095

Granite coastlines studded with pine trees:
August 2012 East Coast Trip 047

Piney islands, shrouded with mists:
August 2012 East Coast Trip 176

Bustling New England villages:
August 2012 East Coast Trip 178

And lobster. The lobster pound down the road sold them for $2.99 a lb, just pulled out of the water we could see from our bedroom that morning. We’d pick up some corn on the cob and wild blueberries or a pie from one of the many farm stands that dotted the side of the road, and boil up some dinner. We could feast like kings — a whole lobster each — for under $15. I ate lobster rolls for lunch and steamed lobster for dinner every single day we were in Maine.

Of course, once we got home, I had Maine withdrawal. Lobster in California is never, ever, ever $2.99 a pound. So I made do, in a thrifty New England way, and came up with these crab rolls (which I have, incidentally, also seen served in Maine. I just never ate them because, hello! LOBSTER.) Crab salad, bound with mayo and brightened with citrus (I happen to love grapefruit juice, but lemon juice will work as well, on a toasty buttered bun with a little green lettuce for crunch. It’s a simple and super quick way to get a little piece of New England on your table for a casual dinner or weekend lunch.

A note on ingredients:
Crab isn’t cheap, but you can get pretty good canned crab meat for around $9 a pound, and that’s for the meat only, no shells. It’s not King Crab Legs, or even fresh Dungeness, but it makes a pretty tasty sandwich. Be sure to get the refrigerated crab meat, not the shelf stable. Brand I buy is Chicken of the Sea, and I prefer leg to lump.
I used brioche rolls here, but other types of bread will work (even in Maine! I had a delicious lobster roll on homemade bread at a place in Rockland.) The classic is probably a top split hot dog bun (Pepperidge Farm makes them) which are hard to find here, but I’ve used a regular side split bun and it works too.

Summer Vacation II: Great State of Maine and Crab Rolls
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Prep time:
Total time:
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound crab meat
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoons grapefruit or lemon juice
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Chives
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Romaine Lettuce Leaves
  • Brioche Rolls or Hot Dog Buns
  • Butter
Instructions
  1. Make the crab salad: Mix the crab with the mayo, citrus juice and chives, using a fork to break up any lumps in the crab meat. Salt and Pepper to taste.
  2. Split the rolls or buns, butter and toast. Line the buttered bun with a lettuce leaf, and fill with the crab mixture. Serve immediately.

 

5 Comments

  1. Jocelyn Pascall September 14, 2012
  2. Beth Bilous September 15, 2012
  3. Mary Flora September 16, 2012
  4. Rocky Mountain Woman September 19, 2012
  5. Erin September 22, 2012
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