When Dungeness crab season rolls around, we’re all in — it’s a local favorite that never disappoints! Picture this: warm, buttery polenta as your creamy base, topped with quick-sautéed crab, crisp fennel, and just a hint of mild chili for a little kick. It’s rich, cozy, and totally irresistible. Pour yourself a glass of Community Cellars Rosé or Pinot Gris, and you’ve got the perfect Oregon-style comfort dish for any night of the week.
Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min.
Allergens: dairy, shellfish
Ingredients
Crab Sauté
- 8 oz. Dungeness crab meat
- 3 T Sebastiano’s extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small fennel bulb, cleaned and chopped in thin strips
- 1 T garlic, minced
- ½ – 1 small red chili (mild such as Fresno), or dash hot sauce
- 1 small lemon, zest and juice of, to taste
- 2 T Italian parsley (flat leaf), roughly chopped
Polenta
- 3 c chicken or vegetable stock
- ½ c coarse dry polenta
- ½ t each salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 T Nancy’s Organic Cultured Butter
Steps
- Start polenta first as it needs to slowly cook for 30–35 min. Bring stock to a simmer in heavy bottomed pot and whisk in polenta slowly. Reduce heat to low and stir frequently with wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula to avoid scorching/lumps. When polenta is creamy/no longer grainy when tasted, stir in butter, salt and pepper to taste. Reserve and keep warm.
- Meanwhile heat oil in large skillet until shimmering. Add fennel and cook 2 min. Stir in garlic and chilies and cook 1 min. more. Add crab meat (picked over for any shell fragments) and toss all quickly to combine just until crab is warmed through. Add lemon zest/juice, taste and adjust seasoning with pinch salt and pepper as needed. Remove from heat.
- Plate polenta on large platter with crab sauté served over. Garnish with fennel fronds as desired, lemon and parsley.
