Let’s just say that our plans at Christmas to visit our family did not go quite as planned. As a result we ended up with a few cans of lump crab meat. Clearly not a terrible problem to have. Ed is a master at making homemade crab cakes but he wanted to try something different. How about crab imperial stuffed lobster tails? Since there was some crab imperial leftover, why not also stuff some mushroom caps? Sign me up!
The main difference in ingredients between this crab imperial and crab cakes is bread crumbs. Think of crab imperial a bit more like a crab dip. Crab cakes need the bread crumbs to help bind them together. Since the crab imperial sits on something (mushrooms, lobster tails or shrimp) it can do without the breadcrumbs. That makes this dish gluten-free/wheat-free. A warning that not all crab imperial (or a crab stuffing you might see in a seafood store or on a restaurant menu) is gluten-free, so if you’re not making it yourself, please be sure to ask.
I recommend white or cremini (also known as baby bellas) mushrooms for this dish. Remove the stems and clean. You may want to use a grapefruit spoon to clean out a bit of the inside of the mushroom to make space for the crab imperial. You can save the stems, chop them up and add them to a pasta sauce or vegetable sauté.
The rest comes together easily. Fill the mushroom caps with crab imperial, top with some grated cheese and place in an oven-safe baking dish. Pour some Marsala (sweet or dry) or white wine around the mushrooms to help steam them and keep them moist. You can prepare these a few hours in advance – adding the liquid just before baking. If you have leftover crab imperial, place it in a small baking dish alongside the mushrooms to heat and serve with bread, crackers or vegetables. The crab imperial itself can be made a day in advance.
This is a great appetizer for a dinner party and also perfect for a special football game that’s just around the corner.
| Crab Stuffed Mushrooms | Print |
- About 30 white or cremini (also known as baby bellas) mushrooms
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay (or more to taste)
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 pound lump crabmeat
- 3 tablespoons grated (not shredded) Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup Marsala (sweet or dry) or white wine
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set aside a large baking dish (9 x 13) that will hold mushrooms in a single layer. Mushrooms should have a small amount of space around them.
- Prepare mushrooms by removing stems and cleaning with a damp paper towel. You may want to use a grapefruit spoon to clean out a bit of the inside of the mushroom to make space for the crab imperial. If the mushroom will not sit flat, slice a bit off the top of the mushroom.
- In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, egg, Old Bay, lemon juice and parsley. Gently fold in lump crab using a rubber spatula – be careful not to break up the crab meat.
- Place a teaspoon (or so) of the crab imperial into each mushroom cap and add to the baking dish.
- Sprinkle each mushroom with a bit of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Pour Marsala or wine around the mushrooms. You want it to cover the bottom of the baking dish so you may need a bit more. Note that the mushrooms will give off some liquid while cooking too.
- Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Crab imperial should be golden, internal temperature should register 165°F and mushrooms should be tender.
- Serve immediately.
* You can prepare these a few hours in advance – adding the liquid just before baking.
* If you have leftover crab imperial, place it in a small baking dish, top with grated Parmesan cheese and place alongside the mushrooms to heat. Serve with bread, crackers or vegetables.
* The crab imperial itself can be made a day in advance.
Source: Variation of a recipe from Ask Chef Dennis
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