Monday, September 16, 2013

Rosie Makes Crab Imperial.


The Hawthornes are having  Crab Imperial today for lunch.
This time of year,  crabs are everywhere.
Neighbors even bring us their crabs!

Oh, what a wonderful place we live in.

Crab Imperial
1/2 pound crab meat
1 TB minced shallot
1 TB finely chopped carrot
1 TB finally chopped celery
1 radish, minced
2 TB unsalted butter
1 TB flour
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
a few dash of Texas Pete or Tabasco
1-2 TB sherry, to taste
1 large egg
1/8 cup heavy cream
1 TB finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
Zest of 1 orange
Chipotle Panko
Hot Hungarian Paprika
Mo' butter

In a medium saucepan, cook the shallot, celery, and carrot
 in 2 TB of the butter, over medium low heat,
 stirring for one minute.  
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. 
 Whisk in the the pepper and 1/2 cup cream
  Simmer the mixture, whisking, for 5 minutes. 
 Remove pan from heat and stir in the sherry and the Tabasco.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg 
and remaining 1/8 cup cream.
Stir into the vegetable mixture and combine well.
Fold in the crab meat, parsley, red bell pepper.
Spoon the mixture into scallop shells.
Sprinkle the Panko, Paprika, and orange zest over top. 
Top with mo' butter. 
Place in a 350° oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Oh yeah.
That's the ticket!


OK.
Let's start on it.
Mince the shallot, celery, carrot, red pepper and onion.

Pour shallot, celery, and carrot
 into a hot pan with peanut oil and butter.
Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add in flour.
Cook for 2-3 minutes to get out the raw flour taste.

Add in 1/8 cup of cream.

Add in 2 TB sherry.
Wash that cream out of the cup!
Mix well.
Sweet!
Set aside.


Mix the egg and cream.
Mixie!  Mixie!
Add the egg mixture to the vegetable mixture.

Add in parsley, bell pepper, onion,

Carefully and gently,
fold in the crab meat.


Spoon into scallop shells.


Sprinkle Panko bread crumbs over top.

Give it some orange zest lovin'.
Give it a few shakes of Hot HungArian Paprika ...

... dot with a few pats of butter 
and then run it under the broiler until nicely browned.


Ooooh.  
Pretty.

Oh my!
You really should try this.

I never order crab cakes when we go to restaurants. 
Generally, there's too much filler.
Not here, though.
This is ALL crab.


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