My mom recently purchased A Southerly Course by Martha Hall Foose. The pages are garnished with beautifully written recipes, stories and enticing photos. I give credit for finding the sumptuous recipe for Crabmeat Casserolettes to my mom.
Having an abundance of Dungeness crab at home, thanks in part to my husband going crabbing on a regular basis, I have been on the look out for amazing new ways to use this delicious, yet sinfully decadent meat.
I altered the recipe to include additional crabmeat though I should have thought ahead and seen the “notes” section of the page, which recommended adding fresh fennel. Of course, I would overlook that and not use the farmer’s market bargain fennel I recently purchased. However, this exclusion does give me an excuse to re-execute the recipe sometime in the near future.
I served this rich casserole with a side salad of romaine, arugula and yellow cherry tomatoes with a walnut oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
Crabmeat Casserolettes
A Southerly Course
By Martha Hall Foose
4 cups (1/2-inch) diced sweet potato
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter (I used 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter)
1 cup half-and-half, or more if needed (I used ½ cup half-and-half)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 3 garlic cloves, minced)
½ pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated (2 cups), (I used 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated, and 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated)
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped green onions, white and green parts (I omitted, as my husband does not care for green onions)
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ pound fresh crabmeat (I used a whopping 1-1/2 pounds)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Paprika
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the sweet potatoes until soft, about 8 minutes. Drain well and return to the pot. Add the butter and let it melt over the hot potatoes. Add the half-and-half and mash it with the potatoes, mixing until they are smooth and not stiff and adding more half-and-half if needed. Add the garlic, cheese, parsley, green onions, fennel seeds, and cayenne. Fold in the crabmeat.
Put the mixture into greased individual ramekins or a single baking dish and sprinkle the top with paprika. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and beginning to brown.
Related articles
- How to Make Vintage Crab Bisque (notecook.com)
- Duo of Fennel Salads (cowtalesbyacowgirlcook.wordpress.com)
