The recipe I’m sharing from the great outdoors is for Crab Stuffed Salmon. This is another way of using the meaty nature of salmon for perfectly luscious grilling and smoking outcomes. Other examples include my salmon burnt ends, and hot honey smoked salmon. 

The salmon filets are co-starring with crab in this dish. The resulting servings are creamy, savory, and satisfying. While it might sound fancy, it’s actually pretty easy to put together. As an added benefit, salmon is good for you thanks to generous levels of Omega-3 fatty acids.

When you shop for your salmon, avoid any with dull-looking meat. The color should be bright. Also, gently push on the filet. If it doesn’t spring back into place, it’s old. If you decide to buy frozen salmon, don’t worry. Most of the fish in your supermarket was previously frozen, so your purchase should be equally fresh. 

Crab Stuffed Salmon Ingredients

• 1 Salmon filet
• 1.5 cups lump crab
• ¼ cup mustard sauce
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Cuso’s Lemon Pepper BBQ Rub
• 1 tsp Cuso’s Hot Honey BBQ Rub
• ½ lemon juiced
• 1/4 cup roasted red pepper
• 2-3 Tbs buffalo sauce 

Instructions

1. Preheat the smoker to 220 degrees F.
2. Cut a furrow down the length of the salmon without cutting through it with a sharp knife. This is where your stuffing goes.
3. Mix all the remaining ingredients together thoroughly.
4. Evenly distribute the crab stuffing in the center of the salmon.

1. Smoke for about 2 hours until the internal temperature reaches 140-150F.

PitMaster’s Memo

There are different types of clump crab you can use. Alaskan King is by far the most expensive, treasured for its sweet, lobster-like flavor. Snow crab is also sweet but a bit briny and shreds easily. You can also buy stone crab claw meat, which is firm and bold. 

Trivia: When fishermen catch stone crabs, they take only one claw and then release the crab back into the water. They can grow another within 18 months.

Dungeness crab has dense meat with almost a nutty taste. The shells from this crab make excellent seafood stock.

Sides

Braised Cabbage

Cheese biscuits

Key lime pie

Lemon rice

Marinated mushrooms

Roasted Artichoke

From the Bar

Belgian white

Dark rum with pineapple juice

Ginger beer

Lemon-lime soda

Pilsners

Pino grigio