• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Chef Dennis
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • My Recipes
  • On the Road
  • Ask Chef Dennis
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Cookie Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • My Recipes
  • On the Road
  • Ask Chef Dennis
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Cookie Policy
×
Home » Recipes » Dessert » Pies/Tarts/Crostata » Maryland Crabs, Day Trips and Raspberry Clafoutis!

Maryland Crabs, Day Trips and Raspberry Clafoutis!

August 20, 2010 by Chef Dennis Littley 124 Comments

This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
3shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Yummly

First I have to apologize to all my friends and readers for not posting on Monday, but what a busy week it has been for me!!! It was my wife’s birthday week and to help celebrate it we took an impromptu trip to New York on Sunday, two and half hours each way to get there,  to spend 4 hours walking through central park and having lunch in an old church turned pizzeria. The park was beautiful, the day was breezy and not humid and we had a wonderful walk through the park, with a stop at The Plaza Hotel in New York. We do have to stay there one day! The pizza at the “famous John’s” in New York was average at best……..great crust, so-so cheese, and so very little sauce it was almost non existent. But we still had a great day and a nice train ride.
Monday was her birthday and I spent 3 hours driving to Baltimore for a two hour meeting…..sigh…..then 2 hours to get home (traffic was better). I am in the minority but 5 hours of driving for a 2 hour meeting, no matter how good the meeting is, is just counter productive to my overall happiness. I spent 2 days in Baltimore last week to finish up a class I had been taking (it was the best class I have ever taken!), so as much as I love Baltimore, I do not want to go there again soon, 7 times in the past two months is enough for a while!
On the way home though I did bring something back, 2 dozen of the most beautiful Maryland Blue Claw Crabs I have seen in many years. You see my wife’s favorite meal is steamed crabs, I have even done those for valentines day, so to celebrate her day we had more crabs than we could possibly eat, in fact eating more of them over pasta on Tuesday. Now you might think I got them in Baltimore, but I will not lie to you I got them in Camden. I know what your thinking, but let me tell you, there is a guy who sells crabs from an old shack all year long, we don’t always see Maryland Crabs but they seem to be running well this year. He always throws a few extra in too, a really nice guy and definitely are go to guy for crabs!!

There is no real secret to how I cook crabs, just a recipe I learned from a friend, it seems to work for us.
I have a pretty big crab pot ( with an insert ) and it gets filled about a 1/3 of the way with water, 2 bottles of a hearty beer, 1/4 cup of pickling spice and 1 cup of Old Bay. Now the important thing is not to overfill the pot, I never put more than a dozen in at a time, they boil some and they steam , I rotate them a few times during a 20 minute cooking process. When they come out of the pot, I hit them with a little more old bay and that’s about it. I don’t claim to be the authority on crabs, but hey it works for me.

We also took a tour of the Morris Arboretum Saturday, which is a place I pass everyday I go to work, it’s right across from our school. So after 5 years of driving by it we finally stopped in. What a beautiful estate, it was the summer home of John and Lydia Morris and what a splendid estate it must have been in its day. WE had a great time walking through the gardens, seeing all the different trees they so diligently planted and the sculptures in the gardens. I am glad I finally went…….so see it was a busy, busy week.

I even had to work a few days….lol…..I actually planned on working all week, but our school is still in the middle of two major projects, replacing the boilers, and enlarging the parking area. So I couldn’t do anything in my kitchen or storerooms…..just no room to work and everything was so dusty! I was promised it would be clean and ready for me on Monday. I did manage to do some work at home, my menu is still in process, and I will share it with you when it’s completed, and I also had a Webinar for our new school website to post pictures, menu’s and general information for my school, its a great new tool we have this year!! It’s hard to believe I will be back feeding my girls very soon, I do miss them!
We ate out a couple of nights, you know Birthday week, so I really didn’t make much to eat at home, but I did manage to make a Raspberry Clafoutis (aka Birthday Cake), I had gotten some great Raspberries at the Market and they were perfect for this creation! My wife loves Creme Brulee so I naturally thought Clafoutis! I made a pistachio digestive biscuit crust for it, I just wanted a little something different and it certainly was.
The Tart turned out great the crust barely sweet, the custard rich and creamy and the raspberries tart and juicy adding a nice contrast to it all.

Before we get to the recipe I would like to mention that Brian @ A Thought for food and
Louanne @ Louanne’s Kitchen were two of my Girard Dressing winners and have posted their first recipe’s using the Girard’s Dressings! I won’t spoil the surprise by telling you what they made, but I promise you won’t be disappointed!! So as soon as your done here head on over to see their newest creations!

Pistachio Crust
1/2 cup Salted Pistachio’s
1 1/2 cups digestive biscuit crumbs (or graham cracker)
3/4 stick of butter (melted)

In a food processor grind the pistachios to a fine crumb, and then do the same with the Digestive Biscuits.
Melt the butter and add to the crumb mixture. I did not add any sugar, I wasn’t looking for a super sweet crust, and the digestives were just sweet enough for this crust. Your mix should be wet enough to mold in your tart pan, adjust if necessary. You want to mold the sides of the tart pan first, you want it to be 1/4 of an inch thick, then add in the bottom. Bake the shell for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then add your cream mixture.

Raspberry Clafoutis adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets
1 container of Raspberries
1 cup Heavy Cream
3 Large Eggs
6 Tablespoon’s Sugar
1 Plump Vanilla Bean Scraped

Lightly beat the eggs, then beat in the sugar. Add in your heavy cream, and vanilla bean scrapings, mix well.
place the raspberries in your tart shell, then add in enough of your custard to cover the raspberries and bake it for 10 minutes at 375 degrees, then add the remainder of the custard and continue baking for about 35 minutes more. At some point you may want to cover your tart with foil to keep it from over browning. A little colour is good but you don’t want it to look burnt. Bake until the custard is firm in the center of the tart.

MORE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE!

  • Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial
    Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial
  • Chocolate Ganache Truffles and Treats for Valentines Day
    Chocolate Ganache Truffles and Treats for Valentines Day
  • Corn Chowder Recipe and Soup Tips and Tricks
    Corn Chowder Recipe and Soup Tips and Tricks
  • How to make Clams and Spaghetti - Easy and Delicious Restaurant Style Dinner
    How to make Clams and Spaghetti - Easy and Delicious…

About Chef Dennis

Picture of Chef Dennis

Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda V @ Bubble and Sweet

    September 03, 2010 at 9:27 am

    What a busy but wonderful Birthday week and yum that pie tart crust with the pistachio's sounds really good.

    Reply
  2. Sweet Artichoke

    August 29, 2010 at 7:17 am

    This clafoutis looks heavenly… I like the crust recipe and bet I could eat only the crust!!

    Reply
  3. c♥zy oven

    August 27, 2010 at 7:14 pm

    I love your crust idea! Pistachio is one of my favourite nuts, must try it next time! I bet it will taste great with cheesecake too.

    Reply
  4. Angela

    August 26, 2010 at 10:46 pm

    I love these flower photos!! Absolutely beautiful!

    Reply
  5. Sommer J

    August 25, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    Happy belated birthday to your wife! In my original comment said anniversary!

    I am a native Marylander living in a part of Germany that's no where near the sea and thing I miss the is Maryland Crabs! The summers anxiously awaiting for the crab shacks to open, the crab imperial, crab cakes and simple steam crab *cries* gorgeous photos! I am now starving for home crabs. Glad your class was so much fun. Taking long trips for work can be tiring I am sure, though. I miss home more than ever, though!

    And I will try that Raspberry Clafoutis before this summer is over.

    Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  6. Foodessa

    August 24, 2010 at 8:16 pm

    It's funny the way great beauty is right in front of us and we rarely have time to smell the roses…I'm glad you finally did.

    Happy belated young Birthday wishes to the love of your life.
    BTW…crème brulée…is hands down my favourite too.

    Your berry clafouti looks scrumptious…will try this out ;o)

    Flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

    Reply
  7. Sprinkled with Flour

    August 24, 2010 at 3:24 pm

    I want a piece of that raspberry clafoutis right now 🙂 I love using Digestives instead of graham crackers too.

    Reply
  8. denis [email protected] quickies on the dinner table

    August 24, 2010 at 10:07 am

    Hope the missus had a lovely day 🙂

    I love the way you do your crabs and that raspberry clafoutis is to die for!! Absolutely gorgeous photos!!

    Reply
  9. The Lonely Radish

    August 24, 2010 at 9:22 am

    “The crab that walks too far falls into the pot”

    Haitian Proverb

    Reply
  10. Torviewtoronto

    August 24, 2010 at 4:51 am

    the crabs the flowers and the dessert looks lovely

    Reply
  11. Cristina

    August 23, 2010 at 9:42 pm

    It sounds like you and your wife have a beautiful relationship and I enjoy reading about the loving things you two do together. Spending a day in New York sounds so fine! I've been wanting to get out there all year and looks like it's not going to happen, afterall.

    Gorgeous clafoutis/bday dessert, Chef, and adore the pistachio crust! 😉

    Reply
  12. LaDivaCucina

    August 23, 2010 at 8:06 pm

    Yummo!!!! Pistachio crust raspberry clafoutis? Fabulous! And those crabs look deelish!

    Wish we could get on a train and go to NY. Since living in Miami, we like "city" holidays. We used to live in L.A. and the traffic will destroy your soul and will to live.

    C U cheffie, Happy Birthday to the wife!

    Reply
  13. Juliana

    August 23, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    Wow, the photos are just amazing…the crabs look so yummie, the flowers so pretty and the raspberry clafoutis just amazing with pistachio.

    Reply
  14. Jenn

    August 23, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    The clafoutis looks wonderful!! But I'm a sucker for anything with raspberries in it! Happy belated birthday to your wife…what a fantastic trip you took with her.

    Reply
  15. [email protected]

    August 23, 2010 at 1:27 pm

    Your clafoutis looks wonderful. My husband would love it! And that crust – so easy and sounds so tasty! I am a huge fan of a cookie crumb crust and with pistachios and digestive biscuits – perfect! Yum!

    Reply
  16. Biren

    August 23, 2010 at 12:57 pm

    A belated birthday to your wife. Crabs are so tasty but it's been a while since I had any. That raspberry clafoutis looks fantastic!

    Reply
  17. From the Kitchen

    August 23, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    Deliciously beautiful post! I wish I had a dozen or so of those steamed crabs to empty out on our table today!

    Best,
    Bonnie

    Reply
  18. Salsa Verde

    August 23, 2010 at 12:10 pm

    Hi Chef Dennis,
    Amazing pictures and what a lovely day it must be!!
    Fantastic recipe. I love clafoutis and the raspberry one, must be so delicious!
    Love,
    Lia.

    Reply
  19. Daniela

    August 23, 2010 at 12:04 pm

    Buon compleanno a tua moglie, anche se in ritardo. Splendidi quei granchi, avrei mille ide su come cucinarli. La torta è splendida. Buona settimana Daniela.

    Reply
  20. Indie.Tea

    August 23, 2010 at 9:44 am

    That raspberry clafoutis…with a pistachio crust to top it off…sounds like heaven.

    Reply
  21. thecompletecookbook

    August 23, 2010 at 7:45 am

    Happy belated Birthday to your wife. Sounds like she had a fabulous week with all the spoils! I LOVE crab. I grew up eating crab caught in the river where we live – simply perfection. My husband's favourite are pistachios, so you got us both very happy in one post!
    🙂 Mandy

    Reply
  22. Jessica

    August 23, 2010 at 6:55 am

    Clafoutis!!! One of my favorite words, and one of my favorite eats! Looks wonderful!

    Reply
  23. Nithu

    August 23, 2010 at 5:51 am

    Oh! I love this. Such a nice recipe.

    Reply
  24. Debbie

    August 23, 2010 at 5:27 am

    That is a lot of crab! I love it, but am a little nervous to cook it myself still!

    Also love the pistachio crust, fabulous idea!

    Reply
  25. Maren

    August 23, 2010 at 5:06 am

    I don't know if I could ever steam or boil live shell fish. It seems so scary.

    Reply
  26. Candace

    August 23, 2010 at 2:54 am

    What a wonderful birthday memory that you made with your wife! I hope to visit New York one day. And your food always looks amazing. I come over here and get hungry. :0)

    Thanks so much for sharing!

    Have a great week,
    Candace

    Reply
  27. Jean

    August 23, 2010 at 2:29 am

    Well, a Happy Belated Birthday to Mrs. Chef Dennis! It sounds like you both had fun celebrating all week. That's always more important than your posts, although your loyal readers look forward to them. 🙂

    One day, I'll have to cook crabs myself and when I do, I'll use your method. As usual, everything you made looks beautiful. The raspberry clafoutis is gorgeous!

    Reply
  28. Jen

    August 22, 2010 at 8:53 pm

    You had me at pistachio crust – YUM!

    Happy belated birthday to your wife – sounds like a great celebration!

    Reply
  29. Kaz

    August 22, 2010 at 8:37 pm

    That clafoutis looks so brilliant! I wonder if I can substitute full-fat coconut milk for the cream (can't eat dairy, alas). I want to try it, yum!

    Your photography is stunningly beautiful! I come to your blog for the recipes, but always get swept away by your lovely pictures. =)

    Reply
  30. Nirmala

    August 22, 2010 at 4:51 pm

    This looks so easy and simple, and gorgeous. Do you have a recommendation for a tart pan?

    Reply
  31. Grace

    August 22, 2010 at 2:50 pm

    I just want to jump right in and grab a piece of your clafoutis, looks delicious!

    Reply
  32. Carolyn

    August 22, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    Happy birthday (belated) to your wife. The clafoutis looks wonderful. I love creme brulee but have never tried my hand at clafoutis, yet. I may have to get on that!

    Reply
  33. Sushma Mallya

    August 22, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    Very beautiful pics chef, and pistachio crust looks awesome, very tempting one..

    Reply
  34. Cooking Gallery

    August 22, 2010 at 11:01 am

    Look at those crabs, yum!! And the raspberry clafoutis looks fantastic too!

    Reply
  35. RamblingTart

    August 22, 2010 at 7:02 am

    Oh, you're a lovely fellow, Dennis! 🙂 Your pictures are GORGEOUS!!! The crabs, the clafouti, the flowers – amazing. 🙂

    Reply
  36. Marguerite

    August 22, 2010 at 4:38 am

    Hi Chef Dennis, it's no nice to meet you! You are such a sweet husband to plan such a lovely birthday for your wife. Your photos of the gardens are spectacular and your raspberry tart looks divine! Those crabs look fabulous and made me wish that I still lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Thanks so much for visiting my blog and for the follow!

    Reply
  37. baking.serendipity

    August 22, 2010 at 4:37 am

    What a great birthday your wife had! I've never been to NYC, but am dying to go. Sadly, it's a much longer drive from Phoenix. Your raspberry clafoutis looks delicious! Pistachio crust is a great touch!

    Reply
  38. Kelsey

    August 22, 2010 at 4:20 am

    oh how i love your idea of making a pistachio crust!!

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO UR WIFE!!! clearly she'll be enjoy yummy birthday food 🙂

    have a wonderful weekend!!

    Reply
  39. Jen Cheung

    August 22, 2010 at 4:16 am

    Look at all those beautiful flowers!!! the raseberry clafoutis looks delicious! your wife must be a lucky women!! heheeh

    jen

    Reply
  40. Jacqueline

    August 22, 2010 at 3:36 am

    What fun you must have had. The crabs look just incredible. We had king crab this weekend on the houseboat and it was so delicious.

    Your raspberry clafoutis looks incredible too. I love the pistachio crust.

    Reply
  41. Gree

    August 22, 2010 at 2:36 am

    What a good hubby you are! I love the idea of the pistachio crust, what a great idea! Unfortunately I am now allergic to shellfish (in the dangerous lots of hives and stop breathing way)but I fondly remember them and live vicariously through you!

    Reply
  42. FRS

    August 22, 2010 at 1:40 am

    You have the most beautiful photos, Chef Dennis, so I am passing on yet another blog award for you, if you are so inclined:
    http://foodieroadshow.blogspot.com/2010/08/tea-and-cake-giveaway-winner-plus.html

    Reply
  43. Mo

    August 22, 2010 at 1:15 am

    Awww, what a sweet meal for your wife. 🙂

    It's strange – for someone who lives so very close to Maryland, the last and only time I've had crab that didn't come in a refrigerated tin was in San Diego. o.O Whaddup with that? 😛

    A wonderful dessert, as well!

    PS: Your poem made me smile. 🙂

    Reply
  44. Mackenzie

    August 22, 2010 at 12:30 am

    Pistachio crust? Brilliant! The clafoutis look delicious!

    Reply
  45. Marly

    August 21, 2010 at 9:11 pm

    Wow – pistachio crust sounds amazing. I've never had that before but anxious to try it. Thanks, Dennis!

    Reply
  46. Allie

    August 21, 2010 at 8:30 pm

    Fantastic! I love the pictures, Maryland crabs are awesome, and I'm a fan of your components and recipes. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  47. Recipe for Delicious

    August 21, 2010 at 7:42 pm

    So many delicious dishes! I love your crab method! I would never think to go past water and salt!

    Reply
  48. Jackie

    August 21, 2010 at 7:15 pm

    Aw Dennis, you are so lovely! I hope Mrs Chef Dennis had a lovely birthday – how could she not with a feast like that?

    By the way, your clafoutis looks absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful photo!

    Jax x

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar


I'm Chef Dennis and Welcome to my Culinary Journey where I share my Restaurant-Style Recipes & Travel Adventures. My goal in sharing my recipes and cooking tips is to make you feel more comfortable in your kitchen, and help you find the joy of cooking! 

More about me →

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

MOST POPULAR POSTS

  • The Best Tiramisu You Will Ever Make
  • How to Dry Brine and Roast a Turkey Perfectly – A Chef’s Secret Recipe
  • Oven Roasted Rack of Pork – Restaurant Style Dinner
  • Pineapple Butter Cake Recipe – Chef Dennis
  • Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial
  • The Original Pumpkin Crunch Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – My Holiday Tradition

GET GRILLING

  • Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers Recipe
  • Grilled Dry Rub Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
  • Restaurant Style Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Caponata
  • Grilled Alaskan Rockfish with Grilled Shrimp
  • Nicoise Salad with Grilled Shrimp
  • Dry Rub Grilled Baby Back Ribs : Step by Step Process

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

Recipe Index

  • Recipe Index

© 2009-2021 · Ask Chef Dennis · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Statement

Proud Member of:
Mediavine Publisher Network