Snow Crabs with Clarified Butter and Potato Latkes

I have been helping pack up a house for the past couple of days and by no means did I make these today!  I made this odd combination for a meal a few days ago when I looked in the pantry to see what I felt like eating.  It was fun.  I love crab.

Snow crab legs are plentiful in the grocery stores.  I was quite amazed to see that they are from Canada.  I think they were even cheaper here than I can buy at home.










To make the clarified butter, melt butter in a heavy saute pan and simmer for a few minutes.  Be careful not to burn.  The solids that float on top can either be skimmed off or strain the butter through cheesecloth.  The clarified butter is done.

Snow Crabs

2 pounds snow crab legs rinsed; ice removed
4 cups water

1. In a large pasta pot with strainer insert, bring water to boil. Keep water level just below the strainer portion of the pot.

2. Rinse ice from frozen crab legs, and place in the strainer insert of the pot. Cover

3. Steam crab legs for 4 to 6 minutes, or until heated through.

Serve crab legs with clarified butter for dipping.

Potato Latkes                     makes about 32 latkes

2 pounds large russet (baking) potatoes (about 4)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large onion (1 pound)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 250°F with rack in upper third.

Peel potatoes and coarsely grate into a bowl using large teardrop-shaped holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with medium shredding disk. Add lemon juice and toss to coat.

Coarsely grate onion into same bowl. Transfer to a kitchen towel (not terry cloth), then gather up corners to form a sack and twist tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible.

Wipe bowl clean, then return potatoes and onion to bowl and stir in flour, eggs, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt until just combined.

Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Fill a 1/4-cup measure halfway with latke mixture and carefully spoon it into skillet, then flatten to 3 inches in diameter with a slotted spatula.

Form 5 more latkes in skillet and fry until undersides are deep golden, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. (If latkes brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium.) Turn over and fry until deep golden all over, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, then transfer to a metal rack set in a baking pan and keep warm in oven. Make more latkes.
Latkes can be kept warm in oven up to 1 hour.