This recipe for “Black and Blue” sauce is about as close to a family trade secret recipe as you can get, and when you put it on jumbo lump crab and a pile of grits? WOW, is it good. And the thing is, I’m not even Southern, I’m not even close to Southern (okay, maybe I am a little? Does Missouri count as the South??), but this recipe feels like an homage to Southern comfort cooking. “Black and Blue” sauce stands for Cajun blackening seasoning simmered with blue cheese. And while it sounds weird, you gotta try it. Even if you don’t like blue cheese, it melts into a creamy, spicy sauce that is somewhat reminiscent of vodka sauce, due to the distinct bite from the cheese. It’s unlike anything I can explain, and it is so uniquely delicious. Once you make this creamy sauce, you won’t be able to get it out of your head.
The reason I call it a “family trade secret recipe” is because it was first cooked for me by a family member. My uncle served it at his house over crab cakes, and I immediately was like “what is this???”
He explained to me he had it at a restaurant in South Carolina, where the owner of the restaurant group had it on not one, but TWO of his restaurant’s menus. It was just that popular. Luckily, my uncle was able to reverse engineer it, and then I was able to reverse engineer that, and that is the recipe you have in front of you today.
I put it on jumbo lump crab because I find that distinctly delicious, but once you try it I have no doubt you’ll think of thousands of other ways to use it.
Table of contents
What is “Black and Blue” sauce?
This sauce is called “Black and Blue” sauce for two reasons:
- It uses a “blackening” season spice blend – so, the Black!
- It then melts in blue cheese into the sauce, thus the Blue!
Of course, a few other things happen in order to make this a sauce, but you will be wowed by the results. Even if you have a few blue cheese skeptics, just get them to try this sauce once. It is not overtly “blue-cheese-y,” but instead it has a unique underlying flavor that melts perfectly with the blackening seasoning.
I had a few friends call this “vodka pasta” reminiscent when I was developing the recipe, and honestly, I take it as a compliment!
The ingredients you will need for “Black and Blue” sauce
Now to understand Jumbo Lump Crab with Black and Blue Sauce, you first need to see the ingredients. Here is everything you’ll need to make this sauce:
- 1 teaspoon each of: onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces blue cheese
Of course, I add water during the process to help thin out the sauce. You’ll see the recommended amounts in the recipe box below!
Where I get my jumbo lump crab
I find that the biggest roadblock for people when trying a new recipe is often the sourcing of ingredients. And I get it, finding easily accessible jumbo lump crab is not at every grocery store! And also…it can be pricey.
I tend to get my jumbo lump crab in a can. I know. Gasp. But canned crab is such high quality, and pound-for-pound you will be paying the same amount as if you were buying fresh crab legs. But you are just saving yourself a ton of work.
Here are few types of crab I like to use:
Blue Swimming Crab by Chicken of the Sea
Lump Premium Crab Meat by Queen ‘o’ The Ocean
How to prepare your jumbo lump crab
The crab will luckily soak in all the black and blue sauce as soon as you add it to the sauce. This is great for flavor, but not so great for texture and temperature. You want to ease the crab up to the same temperature as the sauce. I like to do this by adding a splash of water to help loosen the sauce around the crab, and then bring that to a simmer so the crab can slowly come to my desired temperature.
It is a small technique, but it only takes minutes!
What other ways can you use “Black and Blue” sauce?
When it comes to Black and Blue sauce, the world is your oyster! (No, literally, put it on oysters!).
I find this sauce is a great partner to seafood, but I’ve also seen people put it on Crispy Tofu, or even burgers, and have a great time. This sauce is a good friend to proteins!
Of course, I’m never going to say no to slathering your roasted vegetables with it. This sauce is meant for anything that needs a dressing, a dip, or some extra flavor.
FAQS
This recipe is tricky. It will keep well in the fridge for up to four days, but I recommend eating it as fresh as possible. This is just because jumbo lump crab meat is an investment, and I want you to have the best possible experience! However, my finacé has been tearing through the leftovers in our fridge and says they are fabulous.
Absolutely! Since this sauce has cheese and cream in it, it will thicken as you store it in the fridge. But you can store it in an airtight container for up to three days, then put it on the stove over medium heat and add 1/3 cup of water to thin it out. Bring it to a simmer and then it is ready to use!
Rice, couscous, farro, polenta, or any grain that is capable of soaking up sauce is great with this dish!
This recipe is not suitable for freezing. It is difficult to thaw and maintain the sauce’s emulsion!
Looking for recipes similar to this Jumbo Lump Crab with Black and Blue Sauce?
You’ve come to the right place! I always have a few vegetarian/pescatarian comfort meals that are perfect for entertaining or feeding a crowd. Here are a few that are very popular on the blog right now!
And that’s it for my Jumbo Lump Crab with Black and Blue Sauce!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Jumbo Lump Crab with Black and Blue Sauce
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- 1 large sauté pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup white grits uncooked
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 1-pound can of jumbo lump crab
For the Black and Blue Sauce
- 1 teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces blue cheese
For serving
- Assorted tender herbs like dill, curly parsley and mint
- 4 small lemon wedges
Instructions
- Begin the recipe with the grits. Add the one cup of grits to a pot with six cups of water. Bring this to a rolling boil and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce to a simmer and let this simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40-45 minutes or until the grits have thickened to a porridge consistency. Taste and add more salt as preferred.
- When the grits are 15 minutes away from being ready, begin the Black and Blue sauce.
- Add 1 teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano and freshly ground black pepper to a large sauté pan. Add 2 tablespoons of salted butter and set this pan over medium-low heat.
- Allow the butter to melt, stirring constantly to let the spices begin to sizzle and darken.
- Pour in the heavy cream and swirl to combine. Add in 1/4 cup of water to thin it out (it will rethicken, don't worry).
- Let this come to a soft simmer and crumble in the cheese in two batches. Stir to let the cheese melt into the sauce. Taste and season with salt as preferred, but I find I never need it.
- Add the pound of jumbo lump crab to the sauce. Stir to combine, and add up to 1/2 cup of water to help thin out the sauce, if needed. Bring this to a simmer again to help warm up the crab.
- Now the grits should be done. To serve, portion the grits in to four bowls and top each with a generous portion of the crab. Tear over some tender herbs and serve with a lemon wedge!
Looks divine! Could you sub the grits with polenta? I’m also a vegetarian, could mushrooms work instead of the crab?
Absolutely on both fronts! Just sauté the mushroom first before adding them to the sauce 🙂 Jack fruit would also be a great sub
Amazing as always! Such a great showstopper Christmas day breakfast. Followed the recipe to the tee, and it came out perfectly. The flavors melted together and the bleu cheese flavor was very subtle. Plus as a Marylander we loved the inclusion of the crab. Def will be making this again!
I’m so SO happy you liked it!
I’m from Va Beach and Charleston, but now landlocked in Boulder… I’m pretty excited about this Chesapeake alternative to shrimp & grits… but I’m nervous about coating my crab in a lot of flavor, so will probably drizzle instead.
Luckily, even out here, I can get 16 oz of Phillips crab meat in the refrigerated section at Costco ($25, I usually use Mrs. Phillips’ 3-item crabcake recipe on the jar to make gigantic entree-sized stuffed mushrooms out of portobellos), Costco even has pre-cooked Dungeness to re-steam for special occasions ($10/lb).