Eastern Shore Crab Imperial
- 1 pound lump crabmeat, bits of shell and cartilage removed
- 2 slices firm-textured white bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons curly parsley leaves, rinsed and wrung dry in paper toweling
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch ground hot red pepper (cayenne)
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise (use light, if you like)
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1.
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Lightly coat 6 large scallop shellswith nonstick cooking spray or, if you prefer, lightly coat a 6-cup au gratin pan or shallow casserole; set aside.
- Place the crab in a medium-size mixing bowl and set aside also.
- 2.
- Tear the bread into small chunks, letting them drop into a mini food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade.
- Using 3 to 4 brisk pulses, reduce to moderately coarse crumbs.
- Drizzle the melted butter over all and pulse 2 to 3 times to incorporate.
- The crumbs should now be moderately fine.
- Tip onto a piece of wax paper and reserve.
- 3.
- Add the parsley, salt, black pepper, and cayenne to the processor (no need to wash the bowl or blade), and pulse briskly 3 to 5 times until the parsley is coarsely chopped.
- 4.
- Add the mayonnaise and mustard and churn until smooth, about 5 seconds.
- Scoop on top of the crab and toss lightly to mix.
- 5.
- Mound the crab mixture in the scallop shells or spread evenly in the augratin dish, and scatter the buttered crumbs on top.
- 6.
- Bake uncovered on the middle oven rack until bubbling and touched with brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
- 7.
- Serve at once, accompanying with a tartly dressed salad of greens.
- Roasted asparagus spears also make a delicious accompaniment.
lump crabmeat, bread, unsalted butter, curly parsley, salt, freshly ground black pepper, ground hot red pepper, mayonnaise, dry mustard
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/eastern-shore-crab-imperial-107180 (may not work)