Description
Comforting French-inspired crab gratin delivers rich seafood flavors with delicate herb-infused breadcrumb topping. Luxurious ingredients blend seamlessly, creating a memorable dish you’ll savor with pure culinary delight.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (226 g) white crab meat
- ¾ cup (90 g) shredded swiss cheese
- 4 tbsps (57 g) unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- ½ cup (75 g) chopped onion
- ¼ cup (40 g) chopped celery
- ¼ cup (25 g) chopped green onion
- 3 tsp (9 g) flour
- 1 (5 oz / 142 ml) can evaporated milk
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- Dash of paprika
Instructions
- Roux Creation: Melt butter in a saucepan and whisk flour until achieving a light golden hue, developing a rich, nutty base with deep culinary complexity.
- Aromatic Infusion: Sauté onions and celery within the roux, allowing vegetables to soften and release their fragrant essence, enhancing the foundational flavor profile.
- Liquid Harmonization: Gradually blend evaporated milk, tempered egg yolks, and Swiss cheese, seasoning with salt, black pepper, and cayenne to create a sophisticated, creamy texture with balanced, nuanced undertones.
- Seafood Integration: Gently incorporate crab meat into the velvety mixture, ensuring delicate seafood remains tender while absorbing the surrounding luxurious flavors without disintegrating.
- Broiler Transformation: Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish, distributing evenly and topping with remaining Swiss cheese, chopped green onions, and a subtle dusting of paprika, then position under the broiler for 4-6 minutes until achieving a golden, bubbling surface with caramelized, crisp edges.
Notes
- Roux Mastery: Create a perfect golden roux by whisking butter and flour slowly, ensuring no lumps and developing a rich, nutty flavor foundation.
- Vegetable Softening Technique: Gently sauté onions and celery until translucent, releasing their natural sweetness and creating a flavor-packed base for the sauce.
- Cheese Melting Precision: Temper egg yolks carefully and add cheese gradually to prevent curdling, maintaining a smooth and creamy texture throughout the dish.
- Broiling Brilliance: Watch the dish closely under the broiler, aiming for a golden-brown top with bubbling edges without burning, typically 4-6 minutes for perfect caramelization.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Dinner
- Method: Broiling
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg