Deviled Crab With Sherry Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Remove crabmeat from shell, discarding cartilage, and cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour and cook, whisking, 2 minutes. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking, then add garlic and bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking, until béchamel is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and discard garlic.
• Whisk together yolks, Sherry, mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt in a bowl, then add hot béchamel in a slow stream, whisking. Pour mixture into saucepan and cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in crabmeat and parsley. Divide mixture among 6 (4-ounce) ramekins.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cool slightly. Stir together melted butter, bread crumbs, and cheese with a fork, then sprinkle over crab. Put ramekins in a shallow baking pan and bake in upper third of oven until crab is bubbling and crumbs are golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Melt butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook onion and celery, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• Gently toss crab with lemon juice.
• Coarsely crush saltines with your hands in a large bowl. Stir in onion mixture, Sherry, cayenne, and salt, then fold in crab.
• Divide among scallop shells and bake in middle of oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
• We use Outerbridge's brand, from Bermuda. Available at specialty foods shops and from 441-296-4451 or outerbridge.com.
• ** Available at Bridge Kitchenware (800-274-3435).