Surimi as the star????

[JustJoel]

I’ve always eschewed surimi, aka imitation crab or krab. I don’t really like or trust anything “imitation,” even though I’m well aware that I eat or drink foods with imitation flavors and other ingredients all the time. But imitating crab just seemed really egregious, kind of a slap in the face to those mouth-watering crustaceans.

I was on one of my shopping jobs the other day, though, and the store’s little fresh sushi corner was offering up samples of seafood rolls. They were clearly made with surimi, but I was hungry andthe samples were free, so I tried one (okay, I tried three). It was delicious!

I googled “recipes specifically for surimi” and came up with the usual list of recipes that are for crab but substitute surimi in the interests of frugality. I’m not adverse to these recipes, especially since I’m trying very hard to be more frugal myself these days.

I was wondering, though, has any of you come across a recipe or recipes that are designed for surimi? Recipes that don’t read “can substitute surimi,” but rather have surimi as the star ingredient, even recipes that specify “don’t use real crab in this recipe?”

Please, I implore you, don’t go out of your way to research this, unless it’s tickled your curiosity bone. Although, if you do use surimi on occasion, I’d love to hear how!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I unroll the krab "legs" and place on top of a sheet of nori, then I add in the avocado slivers, green onion, carrot, cucumber and roll up for my sushi-less rolls.

 

[JustJoel]

I unroll the krab "legs" and place on top of a sheet of nori, then I add in the avocado slivers, green onion, carrot, cucumber and roll up for my sushi-less rolls.

If you’re adding cooked and seasoned short grain rice, it’s sushi! Sushi’s about the rice, not the fish (or lack thereof)!

I’ll try this, it looks easy and inexpensive, and yummy. Thanks!

 

[medtran49]

I've seen krab rangoon recipes. Did you try using krab rather than surimi?

 

[GotGarlic]

If you’re adding cooked and seasoned short grain rice, it’s sushi! Sushi’s about the rice, not the fish (or lack thereof)!

PF eats low carb, so she's removing the rice and eating the rest.

 

[GotGarlic]

It's been a while, but I've made a deviled crab salad with surimi. Add minced celery, minced red and green peppers, onion and garlic powders, fresh parsley, lemon juice, mayo and hot sauce to taste. Serve in a croissant as a sandwich or over spring greens.

 

[CakePoet]

Oh we used to get a crabstick bake in school, yes that was name I grew up with. It just cooked rice, surimi, boxed hollandaise sauce and fresh croutons and then baked until the croutons are golden. I loved it, I still would but I cant have lemon.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

If you’re adding cooked and seasoned short grain rice, it’s sushi! Sushi’s about the rice, not the fish (or lack thereof)!

I’ll try this, it looks easy and inexpensive, and yummy. Thanks!

I understand sushi means seasoned rice, I do not use it. Hence, sushi-less rolls.

 

[JustJoel]

I understand sushi means seasoned rice, I do not use it. Hence, sushi-less rolls.

Aha! I figured you knew, just double checking! Do you ever use rice paper instead of nori. I love nori, but Mark hates it!

 

[JustJoel]

Oh we used to get a crabstick bake in school, yes that was name I grew up with. It just cooked rice, surimi, boxed hollandaise sauce and fresh croutons and then baked until the croutons are golden. I loved it, I still would but I cant have lemon.

That sounds good! Think I’d use some other kind of dressing, though. Boxed hollaindaise sounds a bit unappetizing...

 

[JustJoel]

It's been a while, but I've made a deviled crab salad with surimi. Add minced celery, minced red and green peppers, onion and garlic powders, fresh parsley, lemon juice, mayo and hot sauce to taste. Serve in a croissant as a sandwich or over spring greens.

This sounds good, too, but my question is would it be better with crab?

 

[GotGarlic]

This sounds good, too, but my question is would it be better with crab?

No. The delicate flavor of real, fresh crab would be overpowered by these ingredients, especially the hot sauce. Trust me - I've lived on the East Coast since 1985

 

[JustJoel]

No. The delicate flavor of real, fresh crab would be overpowered by these ingredients, especially the hot sauce. Trust me - I've lived on the East Coast since 1985

Makes great sense! (Cents, too. Sorry, couldn’t resist!) I will try it!

 

[CakePoet]

The hollandaise sauce, was powder form and it was that lemon flavor that tied everything together.
This was the one they used.
https://www.knorr.com/ca/en/products/knorr-classic-sauces/hollandaise-classic-sauce.html

Or was it blå band... oh it been so many years.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Aha! I figured you knew, just double checking! Do you ever use rice paper instead of nori. I love nori, but Mark hates it!

No rice, not on my low carb diet. I'm pushing it just taking my teaspoon of local honey a day for my allergies.

 

[dragnlaw]

IMHO...
I would hazard a guess and say that a great many of the "newer" recipes using imitation crab (a mixture of ground white fish- usually pollock {and loads of other stuff}) are probably first put together by the inventor with the imitation.

To landlocked cooks - even in this day and age - the imitation is cheaper and tastier simply because due to costs and availability of fresh - people use canned and realize, as I have, canned is watery and tasteless and certainly not worth the price.

I've tried on several occasions but just can't get any taste from it. So never having attempted the "real" thing I can't do a 3-way comparison. But in my books, imitation far outshines canned- real crab or not.

I buy the 900 g pkgs of imitation when they are on special. Divide them into 9 X 100 pkg and throw most of them in the freezer. I'll either eat them out of hand, in a salad or something.

I can't say I ever use them in hot dishes as the one attempt to do so was "fishy" tasting. Probably my fault but 'never-the-less' never attempted again.
JMHO

I also had never heard the term surimi until tonight and had to look it up. Here we just call it Imitation CrabMeat (or Lobster).

 

[Cheryl J]

It's been a while, but I've made a deviled crab salad with surimi. Add minced celery, minced red and green peppers, onion and garlic powders, fresh parsley, lemon juice, mayo and hot sauce to taste. Serve in a croissant as a sandwichor over spring greens.

Thanks for the reminder, GG...it's been a while since I've made this. I also like it as a dip with crackers. Time to make it again.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...I also had never heard the term surimi until tonight and had to look it up. Here we just call it Imitation CrabMeat (or Lobster).

Same here. Even the Chinese restaurants list the appetizer as "Krab Stix". Battered, deep fried...they're OK. I'd rather have crab rangoon no matter what the fish ingredient is.

 

[dragnlaw]

GG 'n Cheryl - that is my "go-to someone standing at the door to be fed" recipe.

Run to cupboard - put pasta on to boil, any pasta, preferably small -

grab a protein, canned tuna/ham/chicken, imitation crab, nordic shrimp, leftover chicken/turkey/ham/roast, anything.

Add contents of fridge - celery, capers, sweet peppers, hot peppers, olives, lemon juice, relish, mayo, S & P, scallions/shallots. Run cooked pasta under cold water,

mix and serve ...on lettuce/bread etc.

 

[medtran49]

That sounds good! Think I’d use some other kind of dressing, though. Boxed hollaindaise sounds a bit unappetizing...

Especially since it's so easy to make if you use Eric Ripert's blender recipe.