Description
Savory crab meat au gratin delivers rich coastal flavors from Louisiana kitchens. Creamy seafood layers with crisp bread crumbs promise delicious comfort you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (226 g) white crab meat
- 4 tbsps (56 g) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (180 g) Swiss cheese, shredded (reserve 3 tbsps for topping)
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 1 (5 oz/142 g) can evaporated milk
- ½ cup (75 g) onion, chopped
- ¼ cup (40 g) celery, chopped
- ¼ cup (25 g) green onion, chopped
- 3 tsp (9 g) flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- Dash of paprika
Instructions
- Roux Foundation: Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisking flour until achieving a light golden color with a nutty aroma, creating a smooth base for the sauce.
- Vegetable Infusion: Introduce finely diced onions and celery into the roux, reducing heat to low-medium and sautéing until vegetables become translucent, releasing their aromatic essence and enhancing the flavor profile.
- Creamy Transformation: Stream evaporated milk into the vegetable mixture, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Integrate beaten egg yolk, grated Swiss cheese, salt, black pepper, and cayenne, whisking until the cheese melts into a luxurious, velvety sauce with complex depth.
- Crab Integration: Gently fold white crab meat into the creamy mixture, preserving its delicate texture. Simmer on low heat, allowing flavors to meld and crab to warm through without compromising its tender quality.
- Broiler Preparation: Position oven rack near the broiler and set to high intensity. Transfer the crab mixture into an oven-safe baking dish, creating an even layer for consistent heating and presentation.
- Garnish and Finish: Sprinkle remaining Swiss cheese over the surface, garnish with chopped green onions, and dust with paprika for visual appeal and flavor complexity. Place the dish on a cookie sheet to catch potential drips.
- Final Broiling: Slide the dish under the broiler, monitoring closely as the cheese bubbles and caramelizes to a golden-brown perfection, typically requiring 4-6 minutes of intense heat.
- Serving Presentation: Remove from broiler and allow a brief moment of rest. Serve immediately alongside crisp crackers or toasted artisan bread, presenting a sophisticated culinary experience that balances delicate crab with rich, creamy sauce.
Notes
- Master Roux Technique: Slowly melt butter and whisk flour until a light golden color develops with a nutty aroma, ensuring a smooth base for rich texture.
- Vegetable Sauté Secret: Cook onions and celery on low-medium heat until translucent, releasing deep flavors that enhance the overall dish’s complexity.
- Cheese Melting Precision: Add cheese gradually while stirring constantly to prevent separation and create a silky, luxurious sauce without unwanted lumps.
- Broiling Brilliance: Watch carefully under high broiler heat for 4-6 minutes, ensuring golden-brown caramelization without burning the delicate crab mixture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Dinner
- Method: Broiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 363
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 746 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 108 mg