Crab Salad - General Principles and Methods of Cooking
For the first time crab sticks appeared in our country back in the 90s. They began to decorate the tables in the crab salad with the “new Russians”, and made an impression of an exotic seafood delicacy. Few people tried real crabs in those days, a tasty and unusual product gave a sense of belonging to the elect.
Times change, and today in every store we can see a variety of “crab sticks”, which are popular because of the low price and the ability to quickly cook several dishes, such as salads or rolls. Few people think about what is in their composition and what they consist of. Paradox, but in this product the meat of the crabs is not used at all. The composition of low-calorie product (100 Kcal per 100 g.) Includes minced fish, protein, water, salt, sugar and starch.
Surimi is used as a minced fish - low-fat, high-density freshly caught oceanic fish fillets. It may be cod fish - pollock, hake, whiting. The common belief that crab sticks are made from waste is completely wrong, surimi is made only from white fillets, repeatedly washed with water, as a result only insoluble protein remains.
Salad of crab sticks impresses with its ease of preparation - because the ingredients, with the exception of eggs, do not need to be cooked. They are combined with many products, so the number of recipes is constantly increasing, and each time you can cook a new crab salad.
Crab Salad - Food Preparation
It is not so easy to choose high-quality crab sticks, but the main rule, of course, is price. The more expensive the product, the more surimi it contains and less soy protein. The crab taste of the chopsticks is obtained by adding flavor enhancers and flavors, and with the help of carmine and paprika color is added. Surimi should be on the list of ingredients in the first place. If it is not listed in the list at all, it is better not to buy such a product Of course, it is advisable to buy sticks with natural flavors or dyes, pay attention to the color - it should be only from the outside. In appearance, they must be elastic and externally neat, then they will taste juicy. Thaw them at room temperature. As for other canned ingredients, (as a rule, it is corn, olives, mayonnaise), the recommendations may be similar - as far as possible, more natural. Virtually all recipes contain boiled eggs - please be sure to stock them in advance, boil and cool.
Crab Salad - Best Recipes
Recipe 1: Mimosa with Crab Sticks
Mimosa is a layered salad beloved by our population, it is associated with the outer yellow color obtained from the top layer of egg yolks. Mimosa with crab sticks is a quick celebration.
Ingredients: eggs (4-5 pieces), crab sticks (200 grams), cheese (200 gr.), Onions (1 piece), apple (2 pieces), mayonnaise - to taste, around a can (200 gr).
Method of preparation
The secret to the well-known “Mimosa” is that the ingredients are stacked in layers. You must first boil the eggs, separate the whites from the yolks. Prepare the onion - chop it and soak it in cold water to remove excess bitterness. Layers: cut the egg whites with a fork, grate the cheese on a fine grater, freeze the butter in the refrigerator and also grate, peel the apple and core, rub it using a large grater. We post it in the same order. We coat all the layers with a layer of mayonnaise, from above we lay out a layer of crushed yolks of eggs.
Recipe 2: Crab sticks with rice and pickled mushrooms
Marinated mushrooms give the salad a sour and savory taste. In order not to overdo it - add some rice.
Ingredients: crab sticks (1 pack), rice (1/2 cup), eggs (3 pieces), onions (1 piece), pickled mushrooms (1 can or 1 cup), mayonnaise, greens. Method of preparation
For the preparation of this salad is best suited pickled champignons. You can use any other solid mushrooms. We cut eggs, mushrooms, crab sticks, onions, mix with rice and season the ingredients with mayonnaise. We decorate with greens and small beautiful mushrooms: in the center there is a sprig of parsley, and under it we plant mushrooms. The original combination: a small mushroom glade on a rice-crab field.
Recipe 3: Salad of crab sticks and oranges recipe
Oranges are used in many salads. This is not to say that this is a recipe for every day, but still, lovers of combinations of a wide variety of products will find something new in it.
Ingredients: eggs (5 pcs.), Crab sticks (250-300g), sweet corn (300 g), oranges (2 pcs), mayonnaise, garlic.
Method of preparation
Boil eggs and chop. Crab sticks chopped. Oranges peeled and divided into slices, cut very carefully. Separate the corn from the juice and mix with the other ingredients, season with mayonnaise and salt to taste.
Recipe 4: Crab Stick Salad with Ham and Mushrooms
Almost all crab salads are dressed with mayonnaise, with the exception of this dish, which already has a rich composition. Fill it with a special pouring - vegetable oil, spices, lemon juice - a tasty and nutritious salad will get a new look.
Ingredients: mushrooms (150g), crab sticks (300 g), 300g, sweet pepper (200 g), ham (100 g), potatoes (300 g), vegetable oil, salt, pepper, olives, greens - taste.
Method of preparation
For the salad, you can use fresh or marinated mushrooms. Boil fresh mushrooms in salted water with spices, pickled simply separated from the brine. Potatoes, ham and mushrooms are cut into cubes, pepper in strips, crab sticks are cut across and into small pieces along. Mix and fill with salt, pepper, lemon juice and vegetable oil. Greens and olives beautifully placed on top.
Recipe 5: Crab stick salad with corn chips
This salad is different from the classic presence of one ingredient - crab chips. They can be spread around in the form of flower petals or fall asleep from above - it all depends on your mood and desire. A beautiful flower with crab flavor will decorate the table and a good way to satisfy hunger.
Ingredients: Sweet corn (1 can), crab sticks (200 gr), eggs (3 pcs), onions 1 pc), mayonnaise, chips (1 pack), cucumbers (2 pcs).
Method of preparation
Cut crab sticks and eggs into pieces, cut onions finely and mix with corn, rice and cucumbers. Putting in a salad bowl. Fold the crab sticks into large, wide dishes. We decorate with chips only when serving.
Crab Salad - useful tips from experienced chefs
From crab sticks not only salads are prepared, but also various snacks. If you choose special sticks that unwind - you can smear the resulting strip with a suitable filling and twist. Imagine how handsome rolls will come out if you put a sprig of parsley inside, so that greens look out. Or another option - balls with filling. Grate sticks on a grater, mix with mayonnaise, and roll a ball with a round olive inside, but if you still breaded in grated cheese - it turns out an appetizing and interesting snack.
