Buttery Crab Pot Pies
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Reviewers thought this needed more crab, or they added shrimp. I think I would use carrots instead of the mushrooms. This recipe uses puff pastry atop ramekins.
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Salt and cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup clam juice
1/4 cup medium-dry sherry
1/2 pound crabmeat, well drained and picked clean of shells [for 4 servings I would add a bit more]
1 cup frozen peas
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water, to brush pastry
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the middle position.
In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the milk, clam juice, and sherry. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the crabmeat and peas. Remove from the heat and transfer to the refrigerator to cool.
Meanwhile, unfold the pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Place 4 (8-ounce) ovenproof bowls or large ramekins rim down on the pastry and cut out 4 circles a bit larger than the bowls (you may need to roll the pastry out a bit to accommodate all the bowls). Brush the circles with the egg wash. Set the egg wash aside.
When the crab filling has cooled, divide it among the 4 bowls. Brush the rims of the bowls with the egg wash, lay a pastry circle over each, and seal the edges. Cut steam vents in the pastry and brush with the egg mixture.
Place the bowls on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until the pastry is puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.
4 servings
Crab Pot Pie
from http://www.coastalliving.com/
Just a bit of fresh lemon zest and seafood seasoning adds a big boost of flavor. Made in remekins with a top pie crust dough.
2 tablespoons plus 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, divided
3 cups chopped leeks
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups peeled, diced russet potatoes
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice [or shrimp broth from shells]
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and picked
1 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts [or use puff pastry - treat the same as the pie crust in the recipe instructions]
1 large egg, beaten
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add next 3 ingredients; cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Add potatoes and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat.
Melt remaining 1⁄2 cup butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until butter is golden brown and fragrant. Stir browned butter, peas, and crabmeat into vegetable mixture.
Unroll pie crusts on work surface; invert 6 (10-ounce) ramekins or custard cups onto pie crusts. Cut around edges of ramekins with the tip of a sharp knife to make circles.
Spoon crab mixture evenly into ramekins. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush pie crust circle edges with egg wash; place 1 circle, egg wash side down, over crab mixture in each ramekin, pressing down to seal. Make 4 slits in each crust to vent. Place on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
6 servings
