Devilishly Good Deviled Crab (Michele Urvater)

Prep Time: 45 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 75 Minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 pound lump crabmeat

1/2 cup finely sliced scallions (white and green parts) or fresh chives

1/2 cup tiny dice of fresh celery or fennel

1/2 cup tiny dice of red bell pepper

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup of coarsely crushed soda cracker crumbs

salt and tabasco sauce

1/4 cup additional crushed soda cracker crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pick through the crabmeat to remove bits of cartilage etc. In a mixing bowl combine the crabmeat with the scallions, celery and bell pepper. (Make sure the green onions, celery and bell pepper are very finely chopped because they won't cook in the oven and you don't want their raw texture to be intrusive.) In a separate mixing bowl combine the mustard with the butter and cream. Combine the crabmeat mixture with the melted butter and cracker crumbs. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and Tabasco sauce to taste. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Top with additional cracker crumbs and bake for half an hour until the top has browned.
2. Variation instead of combining crabmeat vegetables with the butter and cream combine it with 3/4 cup of evaporated skim milk mixed with 1 teaspoon dry mustard rather than the Dijon mustard.

By RecipeOfHealth.com