The sea

Peaceful. Quiet. Salty smells. Seagulls squawking. What a grounding experience. And what comes walking along, ready to attack anything that comes near it? Crabs!!! You can find them on the ocean beach and you can fnd them in your hair! In your privates and on your plate. In your sushi and in a quiche. Although, we cant eat the ones found in hair or privates...LOL... I have been craving crab cakes for a few weeks now. I keep looking at the frozen premade ones and always return them to the freezer case. Hopefully, I can sink my teeth into one soon. Maybe Valentne's day???? Here are two recipes using crab. They both caught my eye and sound delicious...

Crab Stuffed Flounder
Recipe courtesy Uncle Bubba

Ingredients

2 (10-ounce) flounder fillets

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Uncle Bubba's Crab Cake Mix, recipe follows

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Cooking spray

1 (1-inch) slice Crab Butter, recipe follows

Fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sprinkle flounder with salt and pepper.

Stuff the flounder with the Crab Cake Mix, and press the sides down to cover the filling.

Sprinkle with paprika.

Coat a glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Place the fish in the dish and bake for 20 minutes.

Without removing the dish from the oven, turn the oven to broil and broil for 5 additional minutes.

When the fish is done, remove it from the oven.

Slice a medallion of crab butter and place it on top of the grilled fish.

Sprinkle fresh parsley on top for added color.

Crab Cake Mix:
Recipe courtesy Uncle Bubba

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

3 green onions, green tops, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 small green pepper, finely chopped

1 egg

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 1/2 tablespoons spicy mustard

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

10 saltine crackers, crumbled medium to fine

1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked clean of shells

1/2 pound claw crabmeat, picked clean of shells

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium skillet, melt the butter and saute the onions, garlic, parsley and peppers until soft.

Let cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, heavy cream, mustard, lemon juice and mayonnaise together.

Gently mix in the saltine crackers and crabmeat.

Add salt and pepper, if needed.

Set aside to stuff in flounder.

Crab Butter:

2 ounces claw crabmeat, picked clean of shells

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon seafood base

1 green onion, thinly sliced

Fold the crab, butter, seafood base, and onions together in a medium bowl and mix until smooth.

Remove from the bowl and shape into a log on a piece of parchment paper.

Roll up and place in the freezer.

Reserve for flounder.