Crab And Roasted Pepper Spread Recipes

CRAB AND ROASTED RED PEPPER STRATA

Steps:

• Butter 10-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Whisk eggs and half and half in medium bowl to blend. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in green onions, parsley and thyme. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add crab and bread cubes and toss to combine. Add egg mixture, salt, and pepper; mix until well combined. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Let stand 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle strata with cheese. Bake until brown and puffed, about 1 hour. Cool on rack 30 minutes (center will fall). Using sharp knife, cut around edge to loosen. Cut into wedges and serve.

CREAMY CRAB AND RED PEPPER SPREAD

Steps:

• Reserve 2 tablespoons onions. Mix remaining onions with all remaining ingredients except crackers.
• Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Top with reserved onions. Serve with crackers.

CRAB AND ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER SOUP

Steps:

• Make broth:
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in heavy large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add crab shells and sauté until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add 10 cups water and next 8 ingredients; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until broth is reduced to 12 cups, about 30 minutes. Strain broth through sieve lined with cheesecloth. Cool. Spoon fat from top of broth.
• Make soup:
• Char red bell peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed peppers. Transfer peppers to blender. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Puree until mixture is smooth.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook until mixture is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth, then red pepper purée. Bring soup to boil. Simmer until flavors blend and soup thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Soup can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Add reserved crabmeat and 1/2 cup chopped parsley to soup. Simmer just until crabmeat is heated through, about 2 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon dollop of crème fraîche atop each. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• Set the oven to broil, and preheat for 5 minutes.
• Place the red bell pepper quarters skin-side up on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Broil until the skins have blackened, then place them in a brown paper bag, or in a covered bowl and allow them to steam for approximately 10 minutes to loosen the skins.
• Once the skins have loosened, peel them off and discard. Coarsely chop the peeled, roasted peppers, and place into a large saucepan along with the chicken broth and chopped potato. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the half-and-half, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and basil. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Once the potatoes have softened, puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into another saucepan and stir in the crab. Heat over medium heat to warm through, about 5 minutes.

ROASTED RED-PEPPER DIP FOR CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Heat broiler. Place the red bell peppers, cut-side down, in a single layer in a baking pan or on a baking sheet. Broil until the skins start to blister, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to steam.
• When cool enough to handle, remove skin and seeds. Place the peppers in the bowl of a food processor, and process until a coarse puree forms. Squeeze the puree through a piece of cheesecloth to remove any liquid. Transfer to a medium bowl, mix in the mayonnaise, and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

CRAB SPREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. To serve chilled, cover and refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with paprika., To serve warm, spoon into a greased 3-cup baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve with crackers or vegetables.