Pastel De Jaiba Recipes

PASTEL DE JAIBAS (CHILEAN CRAB CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• To make the aji chileno: Cut the chile peppers in half, discarding all or almost all of the seeds. Marinate overnight or at least for several hours in vinegar to soften the skins. After marinating, discard liquid and purée peppers in a food processor with oil and garlic. Keep the aji in a sealed jar to add to the pastel de jaibas. To make the crab casserole: Clean the crabmeat, making sure to separate out any shell or cartilage. Mix bread crumbs and milk in a bowl and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan and sauté onions with butter, garlic, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Deglaze pan with white wine and cook down for 2 to 3 minutes, adding the stock. Next, add in crabmeat, bread and milk mixture, and cream. Cook 5 minutes, stirring the whole time. Season with 2 teaspoons of aji chileno, or more to taste. Check overall seasonings and adjust to taste. By now the mixture should be moist and creamy, but not runny. If too runny, let simmer another 5 minutes until thickened. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Divide mixture into one large clay pot, called a pomaire in Chile after the artisan town that specializes in producing them, or into 8 individual gratin dishes. (Editor's note: intrepid chefs can even load the mixture back into the empty crab shells.) Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake until golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

PASTEL DE JAIBA (CHILEAN BLUE CRAB PIE)

Steps:

• Soak the bread in the cream. While bread is soaking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, saute the chopped onions until they turn golden, stirring regularly to avoid burning (about 8 minutes).
• Add crab meat, butter and soaked bread along with any additional cream to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Stir almost constantly, until sauce thickens (approximately 5 minutes). Add the Gouda cheese and cook for about 10 more minutes, or until cheese is fully melted and incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• For serving, this may be scooped back into the (cleaned) crab shells, or you can scoop it into four individual oven-safe ramekins. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each serving, then broil until cheese melts and turns golden brown. Sprinkle the top of each serving with a pinch of chopped chives and serve.