SPICED CRAB MAC 'N' CHEESE

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



Spiced crab mac 'n' cheese image

Use Old Bay seasoning (an iconic spice blend from Baltimore in the US) to balance the sweetness from the crab in this moreish crab mac 'n' cheese

Provided by Good Food team

Categories     Dinner

Time 1h10m

Number Of Ingredients 12

50g butter
6 spring onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning (available online, or see recipe, below)
1 tsp smoked paprika, plus a pinch
1 tbsp tomato purée
50g plain flour
750-800ml whole milk
350g macaroni or penne
50g parmesan, grated
2 tsp Dijon mustard
200g crabmeat (use a mixture of white and brown)
40g fresh breadcrumbs

Steps:

  • Melt the butter in a large pan over a low heat and sizzle the whites of the spring onions, the Old Bay seasoning and the paprika until the butter is foamy and aromatic. Stir in the tomato purée and flour until the ingredients form a paste. Cook for another minute or two to toast the flour a little, then turn the heat up to low-medium and add the milk, a little at a time, whisking well until you have a smooth, thick sauce (you may not need all the milk).
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta following pack instructions, then drain and set aside.
  • Stir the cheddar, half of the parmesan, the mustard and crabmeat into the sauce. Check the seasoning - the Old Bay spice mix is salty and spicy, so you may not need to add much salt or pepper. Tip in the cooked pasta and mix well. Pour into a baking dish (ours was 25 x 30cm and 7cm deep). Combine the breadcrumbs, remaining parmesan, the green parts of the spring onions and a pinch of paprika in a bowl, then scatter over the dish. At this stage, the mac 'n' cheese can be cooled completely and chilled overnight, or frozen, well covered, for two months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before baking.
  • To cook, heat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6. Bake the mac 'n' cheese for 25 mins (add another 10 mins if cooking from chilled) until the topping is golden and crunchy and the sauce is bubbling at the edges.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 561 calories, Fat 25 grams fat, SaturatedFat 15 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 53 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 7 grams sugar, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 28 grams protein, Sodium 1.9 milligram of sodium

There are no comments yet!