CRAB IMPERIAL

novamc1 · ‎07-02-2015

Premium-quality jumbo lump crab is costly, so we don't eat it often. Had it last night and have served to guests. Everybody loves it. Easy to put together using fresh crab, or the canned, refrigerated, pasteurized lump crab from Phillips. In addition to jumbo lump crab, lower-priced backfin or other varieties of crabmeat are available, and all types are OK for this dish.

CRAB IMPERIAL--4 to 5 servings

Preheat oven to 350 or 375 degrees.

Lightly grease a single shallow casserole dish or individual au gratin dishes or ramekins.

Drain 1 pound of crabmeat of liquid, pick out any stray shell, and place in a separate bowl. Sprinkle crab with a ittle fresh lemon juice., if desired

Ingredients:

One beaten egg

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 to 1 whole tsp. dry mustard or prepared mustard

1/2 to 1 whole tsp. Old Bay or other seafood seasoning

A couple dashes of Worcestershire

Lightly buttered panko or cracker crumbs for topping (optional)

Mix egg, mayo and seasonings in a bowl.Fold together the crab and mayonnaise mixture.

Spoon into a mound in casserole(s).

Top LIGHTLY with buttered crumbs. Sprinkle a little Old Bay (or paprika) on top for added color.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned on edges and golden on top.

____________________________________________________________________

I look at about five different recipes for this dish before making it and probably make it a little differently each time. Some options include adding sauteed chopped green peppers or a little sweet pickle relish, or topping with lemon slices instead of crumbs. It's always good and pretty foolproof.

DiAnne · ‎09-22-2010

I love fresh crab. I was in the market yesterday and fresh crab was $42 a pound!

IamMrsG · ‎08-29-2010

Thank you, Novamc, for sharing this--it looks good. How do you serve this? I'm presuming as the main entree, similar to (loose) crab cakes, but with what sides?

Alternatively, could this be used as an appetizer/spread for crostini?

Strive for respect instead of attention. It lasts longer.

IamMrsG · ‎08-29-2010

DiAnne wrote: "...$42 a pound!"

So, how many pounds did you buy?

Strive for respect instead of attention. It lasts longer.

novamc1 · ‎07-02-2015

Re: how do I serve this:

I serve crab imperial in individual au gratin dishes, right out of the oven and placed on top of a dinner plate at each place-setting. Because the au gratin dish is so hot and still sort of sizzling, I put a paper napkin on top of the plate it will sit on, so as avoid possible breakage.

It might be easier to bake and serve as a single casserole, but the au gratins or ramekins give you some portion control. At such a high price per pound, you need crab control around hungry people!!

With it, I've served some sort of rice (last night it was Zatarain's yellow rice), and a simple salad or cole slaw, bread and maybe another vegetable such as peas or green beans.

novamc1 · ‎07-02-2015

Mrs. G---I don't know about serving this as crostini. It needs to bake in some sort of dish to set the raw egg in the mayo mixture. However, I have seen crab imperial recipes that do not call for any egg, so maybe you could search recipe sites online for some other crab recipes that are similar.