Crab-stuffed flounder is actually easy to
make. Photo and recipe courtesy Westside
Market | New York City.

February 18th is National Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day. The recipe is easy to make, and gives the appearance of a “fancy” preparation. You can stuff any white fish fillet with crab meat.

Before buying crab, note that there are four grades of meat. In order of expense, they are:

Here’s more on the different types of crab meat.

Thanks to the Westside Market in New York City for this easy recipe.

Here’s a second recipe.
 
 
RECIPE: CRABMEAT STUFFED FLOUNDER

Ingredients For 4 Servings

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9 x13-inch ovenproof dish.

2. MELT the butter in a skillet. Add the onion and celery and sauté until soft. Stir in the parsley or dill. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, crab meat, lemon juice, and cayenne.

3. DIVIDE the crab meat mixture among the fillets and roll them up; hold them together with toothpicks. Place the fish seam side down in a baking dish. Sprinkle the paprika over the fish.

4. BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with dill and lemon before serving.
 
 
CRAB MEAT OR CRABMEAT?

You’ll see both uses. Which is correct?

“Crab meat” is more correct, although the incorrect “crabmeat” has eased into acceptance over time (spell or pronounce something incorrectly enough and people accept it as right).

Claw meat and leg meat are darker but more flavorful and less expensive. Use it in recipes where the crab gets fully blended with other ingredients. Photo courtesy Phillips Crab.

As we published the post below, for acorn squash soup with gnocchi, we thought about soup as a main course.

To turn a first course into a main course, simply add more of the protein: beef, chicken, ham, sausage, tofu, etc.

It’s also an opportunity to double up on the veggies and to add whole grains like barley, brown rice or quinoa.

Serve it with a large and interesting side salad, and you’ve got a delicious lunch or dinner.

Here are 25 ideas to start; or create your own combinations:

There’s a thin line between soup and stew. Both can be combinations of vegetables, proteins and starches (beans, dumplings, grains, legumes, noodles, potatoes, rice, etc). Both are cooked in, or with, a liquid. Both can be served in a bowl.

Stews are thicker, with the liquid reduced to a gravy. Because they are made to be main courses, the ingredients are cut into larger/chunkier pieces. Meat-based stews are an opportunity to slow-cook tougher (least expensive) cuts of meat. Soups cook for a shorter time at higher temperatures.

Yet, stew is not simply a thick or chunky soup. There is a different approach to cooking:

 
Here are more differences:

Albondigas—meatball soup—is a Mexican classic. Photo courtesy Melissas.com.

 
Both stews and soups may be thickened:

 
Hot soups and stews are particularly suited to cold winter days. It looks like we’ll have more than enough left to pull out some favorite recipes, or try new ones.

[1] Acorn squash soup with gnocchi and a garnish of dried cranberries, Brussels sprouts leaves and crème fraîche (photo © Giovanni Rana Pasta)

[2] Acorn squash (photo © Good Eggs).

Italians are known for combining pasta and soup: minestrone, pasta e fagiole (pasta and bean soup) and pasta in brodo (chicken broth with pasta) are classics.

Here’s an even fancier creation from pasta maker Giovanni Rana: acorn squash soup with potato gnocchi.

This hearty starter can also serve as a main course—an example of how you can build on a simple bowl of soup to create a meal.
 
 
RECIPE: ROASTED ACORN SQUASH SOUP WITH SAUTÉED GNOCCHI

Ingredients

1. PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Cut the squash halves into segments, following the natural seams. Toss segments with extra virgin olive oil and season with kosher salt. Lay squash in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast until tender; about 30-35 minutes. In the meantime…

2. MELT butter with extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Sauté shallots and fennel until soft, about 8-10 minutes. While shallots and fennel are sautéing, peel leaves from Brussels sprouts. Toast in a dry nonstick pan over medium high heat until starting to char in spots. Remove and set aside.

3. INCREASE heat to high and add half of the vegetable oil. When oil is shimmering, add half of the gnocchi directly from the bag. Sauté gnocchi, tossing often, until browned. Set aside and repeat.

4. REMOVE acorn squash from oven when tender; allow to cool enough to handle. Peel skins off and discard. Working in batches, purée squash, sautéed shallots and fennel, vegetable broth, heavy cream and vinegar in a blender or food processor.

5. RETURN soup to a pan and gently reheat. Adjust consistency with more vegetable broth if necessary and season with kosher salt. Add gnocchi and divide among bowls.

Gnocchi (NYO-kee) are light and fluffy Italian dumplings. The most commonly known in the U.S. are made from potatoes and flour, although other styles are noted below.

You can find butternut squash, spinach and sweet potato gnocchi on modern menus, and creative chefs can create a myriad of flavors. Some also substitute semolina for the potato flour—the original recipe (more about that in a minute). Shapes and ingredients vary by region.

The word “gnocchi” means “dumplings” in Italian. There are two suggestions for the origin of the word:

 
They’re Not Italian!

Gnocchi are of Middle Eastern origin; the originals were made with semolina dough. As the Roman Empire expanded, favorite recipes were brought home and adapted, based on local ingredients and preferences. Depending on where you are in Italy, you can find:

 
Whether covered in sauce, tossed in butter or pan-fried, gnocchi are crowd-pleasers.