United States / Appetizer
Crab Meat Canapé
This is a dish for company or a special occasion. It is large enough for a luncheon entrée; it may also be served as an appetizer. The dish is well known by habitués of Galatoire's Restaurant on Bourbon Street, New Orleans.
Ingredients
- Béchamel Sauce Louisiannaise1 cup
- salt, to taste
- white pepper, to taste
- green onions, chopped1 small bunch
- butter2 tbsp
- butter, room temperature1 tbsp
- fresh white lump crab meat, about 0.5 kg; jumbo or regular-size lumps; body meat only, not claws1 lb
- egg yolks2
- breadcrumbs, fine2 tbsp
- Parmesan cheese2 tsp
- toast4 slice
- flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped1 tsp
- lemon, cut into wedges1
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 10 steps
Pick over crabmeat carefully with your fingers to assure the absence of crab shell. This is necessary.
Sauté green onions in butter over medium heat until soft. Do not allow onions to brown.
Add white lumpfish crab meat, then fold in béchamel sauce. When mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat and fold in beaten egg yolks.
Refrigerate mixture for 10 minutes in order to form canapés. Or, let stay in refrigerator overnight until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350 °F (190 °C).
Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl.
Trim the ends of the toast. Place trimmed toast on a baking sheet and spoon refrigerated crabmeat mixture onto toast using an ice-cream scoop.
Sprinkle canapés with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese mixture. Dot each canapé with soft butter.
Bake canapés for 20 minutes.
Garnish each serving with flat-leaf parsley and a wedge of lemon.
