Hearty Crab Stew

Hearty stews are warming, often very filling and full of stewing beef – but sometimes you just desire a change of pace. A chance to spend sufficient time relaxing by the sea, or at least indulging in food from the water, rather than from land. It is only natural to eat diversely, and a Paleo lifestyle fosters that. So crab it is, for dinner tonight.

Even if you don’t live by the sea, you can still enjoy the wonderful flavor of crab meat, combined with shallots, white wine, and fish stock. Fresh crab is amazing if you can find it, frozen crab meat is surprisingly tender, though you will want to avoid canned crab. It has far less flavor, and if you will be making a crab taco salad, you won’t want to be disappointed. If you have the choice, opt for Jumbo, backfin or lump crab meat to get the largest chunks possible. And if you are really starting with the freshest crab you can get, simply bring a large pot of salty water to a boil, put the crabs in a steamer basket (or pile them on top of one another) and steam for 10-20 minutes, depending on the amount of crab.

Hearty crab stew is rich in protein and low in carbs, completely suitable for a Keto diet. Crabmeat contains B12 in addition to omega-3 fatty acids, all-around beneficial for your body, and incredibly tasty too!

Hearty Crab Stew Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh crab meat
• 2 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups fish stock
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a small bowl using a fork, break up crab meat and mix with parsley.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the shallots in the olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add the wine and allow the mixture to simmer for several minutes.
3. Turn up the heat and stir the tomato paste into the stock. Mix well to ensure that the paste does not clump. Also, add the bay leaves and thyme. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Place the crab meat in a large bowl. Remove the bay leaves from the sauce and pour over the crab. You may choose to not use all the sauce, depending on how much liquid you would like in your stew.