Crab Mornay

Recipe Rating:	1 Rating5
Categories:	Appetizers, Other Side Dishes, Cheese Appetizers, Dips, Quick & Easy, For Kids, Healthy, Seafood Appetizers, Spreads
Keywords:	Garlic, Cream, cheese, swiss, onions, Seafood, crab, cajun
Serves:	12-15
Prep Time:	15 Hr
Cook Time:	30 Min

Ingredients

1/2 c	butter, unsalted
1 bunch	green onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp	all purpose flour
1 pt	half & half
2-3	drops liquid crab boil
1/3 c	parsley, chopped fine
1/2 lb	swiss cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp	sherry
1 tsp	granulated garlic or powder
	salt, pepper & cayenne to taste
1 lb	special claw crab meat, picked through and shells removed

Pinched by kitchenchatter, and 85 more.

Donna Graffagnino

Well Seasoned

New Orleans, LA (pop. 343,829)

stillwild1111

Member Since Feb 2012

Donna's Notes:

Beware! This Crab Mornay is a decadent mixture of special claw crab meat and cheese blended in a sweet cream sauce. This dish can be served as an appetizer with Garlic & Parmesan Panetini or as a side dish in individual ramekins.

Directions

On medium heat melt butter in large skillet then add green onions and sauté until tender.

Add flour and stir well to remove lumps. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 3-4 minutes. You don't want to brown the flour but cook out the raw flour taste.

Add the half & half, liquid crab boil and cheese and let it melt down into the mixture, stirring often. You only want this to come to a simmer; DO NOT LET IT BOIL or the cheese may separate and get grainy.

When heated through add the parsley, sherry and granulated garlic, stir well and fold in crab meat. Heat through and be careful not to break up crab meat. Add salt & cayenne pepper to taste.

Serve in a chafing dish or small crock pot with garlic parmesan panetini toast or melba toast.

*Note: I use the special lump crab meat, which comes from the claw. It doesn't break down as easily as the white lump but still has an amazing crab flavor and texture. You can also use 1 pound of lump crab meat but it will break down very easily. Pick through for shells and cartilage and make sure to drain ALL of the liquid from the crab meat.

If serving in individual ramekins, you can top crab mixture with additional Swiss cheese if desired and place under broiler for about 2 minutes before serving. Goes great with steak.

Comments

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bev snee 1234567

Jul 17, 2012

Donna, this looks and sounds like something I would like but I need to ask what crab boil is. I never heard of it.Thanks for sharing.

Donna Graffagnino stillwild1111

Jul 17, 2012

Concentrated Shrimp and Crab Boil
I prefer Zatarain's Liquid Crab Boil Concentrate. It gives steamed or bland seafood the taste of being boiled in seasoned water and contains the essential oils of the spices and seasonings in the original Crab & Shrimp Boil. This product is extremely hot and a little goes a long way.
Tips: A capful added to a pot of boiling potatoes, corn or other vegetables gives them a spicy kick too!

See Images of Different types of liquid crab boil here:
images.search.yahoo.com/sea...

This can be ordered online in your local grocery store near the salt and pepper seasonings. Or, you can sprinkle Old Bay and a little Cayenne pepper directly on the Crab meat, or into the dish. Just taste before adding additional salt.

Donna Graffagnino stillwild1111

Jul 17, 2012

***correction*** This can be ordered online or found in your local grocery store...

bev snee 1234567

Jul 17, 2012

Is this something that you could toss over pasta?

Donna Graffagnino stillwild1111

Jul 18, 2012

This is an appetizer served best with crusty baguettes seasoned with garlic and Parmesan then baked. During the holiday season, Sam's sells Nonni's Garlic & Parmesan Panetini, otherwise I make my own. I also serve it as a side dish with lump or a combination of lump and special claw crab meat. As long as the crab meat doesn't break down it can be eaten on it's own, similar to a crab meat Au gratin but with Swiss cheese instead of Cheddar. Because of it's rich flavor I think it would not work with pasta, (my opinion), but feel free to experiment according to your taste. The select claw meat is not shredded but is the lump portion of the claw and holds together very well. If white lump crab is used then fold it into the cheese sauce at the very end and heat through. Lump actually works better with the dish served in a ramekin. It's okay to use regular crab meat when making it as an appetizer but it just won't have the same texture. I also use pre-shredded Swiss when I can find it, or just shred or grate your own. It's a very flavorful dish - hope you can find the liquid crab boil and give this a try. Let me know what you think!