Crab Meat Alma
Submitted by bowboy309
Cajun crab in a rich Swiss cheese and cream sauce with mushrooms, scallions, and dry vermouth, spiked with cayenne. Serve in patty shells or scooped up with crusty French bread.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
10 minREADY
25 minThis dish has Louisiana written all over it. A stick of butter, a generous pour of cream, two cups of melted Swiss cheese, and a pound of crab meat folded in at the end. Cajun hospitality in a saucepot.
Scallions, celery, parsley, and mushrooms get sautéed until soft, then a flour-thickened cream sauce comes together right in the same pot. Swiss cheese melts in, dry vermouth adds sophistication, and a hit of cayenne brings the heat that says this recipe was born in bayou country.
Spoon it into puff pastry shells for an elegant starter, or set it out with a basket of crusty French bread and let folks dig in.
Pro Tips
- Melt the cheese slowly over low heat and stir constantly. High heat will make Swiss cheese turn stringy and grainy instead of smooth.
- Fold the crab in gently at the end. You want whole, identifiable pieces of crab, not shreds lost in the sauce.
- Vermouth or dry sherry both work here. Vermouth adds herbal complexity while sherry brings a nuttier, rounder warmth. Pick your favorite.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt butter in heavy saucepot. Sauté vegetables until soft.
Blend in flour and add cream.
Heat until thickened. Add cheese and heat until it has melted.
Add wine, cayenne pepper, and salt. Fold in crab meat or shrimp.
Heat gently for 8 to 10 minutes Serve with french bread or in patty shells.
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