STUFFED CRAB

Stuffed Crab image

Provided by Peter Feibleman

Time 25m

Yield Serves 6 as a first course

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 tablespoon butter, softened, plus 7 tablespoons butter cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons soft crumbs from a baguette or similar bread, pulverized in a blender
1/4 cup fish stock or clam broth
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
* pound fresh or frozen crab meat, drained
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the softened butter over the bottoms of 6 medium-size natural or ceramic crab or scallop shells. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of the bread crumbs with the fish stock and set aside.
In a heavy, 10-inch skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter cubes over moderate heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl of moistened bread crumbs. Add the crab meat, scallions, parsley, cayenne and salt, and mix well.
Mound the crabmeat mixture into the buttered shells. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs and remaining 3 tablespoons of butter cubes over the tops and lay the shells on a large, shallow baking dish. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 15 minutes, then put under the broiler for 30 seconds or so to brown the tops. Serve hot in the shells.