Dukes Tacoma Washington Special Recipes | Apple Crumbles (2024)

Still in recovery mode. The alarm is set the previous evening. In the morning, when it sounds it’s ugly alert, the ears tune in to any rain or wind that might be going on outside. If either one is heard, the body turns over, the eyes close and it’s another hour in bed. So nice!

There are a few motivators to put the body in motion:

1. The dogs. They protest sleeping in and their protests are difficult to ignore.

2. Ted is hard core training for his upcoming triathlons. He gets out of bed by 4:30 am. This can make a lazy body feel a bit guilty.

3. The recovery period between marathons is used for muscle building. Since heavy weights tend to interfere with running (weight training is typically lighter with more reps while training for a marathon), at least three days a week are spent in the gym building up muscles with less repetitions and heavier weights.

This morning the legs felt heavy after yesterdays leg workout. Then again, dragging a 115 lb. German Shepherd along didn’t help. That made me rethink running the Hall of Fame Half marathon on Sunday. Just toying with the idea.

Let’s revisit Tacoma and Duke’s famous recipes!

Dukes Award Winning Clam Chowder

This recipe was based on a delicious clam chowder recipe we received when dining at Duke’s in Tacoma Washington. I typically prefer Manhattan Clam Chowder but since I controlled everything that went into this thick creamy concoction, this cup of soup made my A list. *Made thick so more milk could be added when reheating.

1 Quart *Duke’s original recipe is below with substitutions noted per line.

• 1 lb. IQF Surf Clams (all natural) – Substituted Bar Harbor Chopped Clams
• 1 1/2 cups clam juice
• 1 oz clam base -Substituted vegetable base
• 4 strips bacon (nitrite free) –Substituted Morning Star "Bacon", a vegetarian substitute
• 4 oz (1 stick) butter – Substituted Smart Balance buttery spread with Olive oil
• 2 cups diced celery
• 2 cups diced onion
• 1/2 tsp fresh chopped basil
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
• 2 cups diced red potatoes
• 1/2 oz garlic
• 2 TBS parsley
• 1 TBS dill
• 4 oz flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk – Substituted 2 1/2 cups 1% milk and no cream
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream – Did not use

Blanch diced fresh baby/gourmet red potatoes in boiling water until tender. Cool and set aside.

Cook bacon or bacon substitute in a heavy saucepan until crisp. Add the butter/fat, onions, celery and sauté until tender.

Add the flour, stir to coat, lower temperature and cook for 7 minutes.

Mix and dissolve all clam base with the juice and add to the mixture.

Now add the dairy products and herbs. Heat until almost boiling and blend with a wire whisk.

Add the potatoes and clams. Simmer for 3 minutes then serve hot!

Dukes Crab UN Cakes

Another good recipe from Duke’s in Tacoma Washington. The perfect crab cake. It’s called an "UN cake" because it’s all crab and no flour filler. You’ll love this one if you love a true crab cake.

Makes 12-14 Cakes, *Duke’s original recipe is below with substitutions noted per line.

• 2 lb. Dungeness Crab, squeeze excess liquid- Substituted Premium Pasteurized Lump Crab Meat
• 1 bunch green onions, green part only, small dice
• 2 TBS fresh herb blend of Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Basil
• 2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 eggs, whisked until beaten
• 1 cup chipotle mayo: Blend mayo with honey, mustard, and diced chipotle peppers
• 1 cup zesty lime aioli (for on the side): Blend 1 cup roasted garlic in food processor then add mayonnaise, sweet Thai chili sauce, fresh lime juice, basil, 1/8 cup parsley, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, Italian herbs, sugar, creole seasoning, salt, pepper, and lemon pepper.

Toss the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Ball into 3 oz portions and make patties. Press the patties into some Panko bread crumbs then grill in butter or oil until golden. *Note: I baked my in the oven at 425 F for 8 minutes per side.

Do you have a favorite crab cake recipe?

What’s your favorite chowder? Manhattan or New England? .. or other?