Lump Crab Isn't Always The Best Choice For Seafood Dishes — Here's Why

Cooking with crab can be intimidating. We aren't talking about the imitation stuff that you might turn your nose up at if you don't know what to do with it. We're talking about the juicy lumps of tender meat that cost a pretty penny in the store. There are several types of crab meat, all with different price points. The most expensive is jumbo lump from the body of the crab nearest the head, followed by the super lump, then lump meat, which also come from the body. Claw meat, which is typically the cheapest meat, rounds out the options. While opting for the expensive stuff can be tempting, the cheaper meat can be just as sweet and delicious.

Executive chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka, who recently partnered with Kona Big Wave and King's Hawaiian at New York City's Taste the Aloha event to bring the flavors of Hawaii to the city, shared their expert advice on lump crab meat exclusively with Chowhound so you can make the best choice for your seafood dishes. At their Honolulu eatery, MW Restaurant, Ueoka and Karr-Ueoka create delectable dishes, such as crab cakes served with hearts of palm, corn, and a wasabi koji sauce, so it's no surprise that they know their way around crab meat.

As successful restaurateurs, it's also not surprising that they know when to save money by using something other than lump crab. "Warm crab dips, crab wontons, crab cakes, and crab dumplings are all great examples of where more affordable grades of crab work beautifully," Ueoka and Karr-Ueoka say. "In these dishes, the differences in texture aren't as noticeable, so you still get delicious flavor without the higher price tag." 

When you really want to make an impression, go for the good stuff. Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka suggest splurging on the expensive stuff, jumbo lump meat, when you want to create a seafood dish that really showcases the delicate meat and imparts a sense of decadence and luxury. "We like to use it in dishes where the large, beautiful chunks are visible — like crab salad or crab toast," they say, "because it instantly elevates the dish and makes guests feel extra-special." Crab toast was actually one of the dishes they served on their Taste the Aloha menu, and it was designed to showcase the visual appeal of the crab meat itself.

Working with crab is something of an art form; it can take a basic dish and turn it into something extraordinary. Take a basic grilled cheese, for example. Add some crab meat and you introduce a sweetness and decadence that takes your comfort food to a whole new level. If you want a sandwich that has juicy, succulent bites of crab in each bite, up your game by using jumbo lump crab meat. It isn't necessary to give you the sweet, delicious taste lower-priced crab meat gives you, but it lets you show off to your friends that you can make the most luxurious grilled cheese in town. Just don't make any mistakes with canned crab meat.