Warm Crab Pie Recipe
A dazzling Warm Crab Pie Recipe to wow your party guests this year!
Some things never change. I love crabmeat… Always have, always will.
When I was a little girl, I thought The Red Lobster was the fanciest restaurant on the planet. I mean, only a truly elegant restaurant would offer grown-ups special bibs so their clothes wouldn’t get dirty!
Every chance I got, I would plead with my parents to go there. Birthdays were a given. I would gaze in wonder at the lobsters swimming in the tanks, waiting to become someone’s dinner.
I wasn’t interested in eating something that was so alive only moments before it arrived on my plate. I wanted my dinner dead long before I got it.
Instead I ordered snow crab legs and an extra basket of garlic cheese biscuits. Then would tremble with excitement at the thought of my heaping plate of claws and the extra special tools with which to eat them.
Well a lot has changed since then. One, I have discovered that the Red Lobster is not the fanciest restaurant on the planet, and that plastic bibs and shell pliers do not equal high-class.
I have also realized it is much better to eat food that is very recently dead. (Take a moment to judge me if you so desire.)
Yet, I’m still gaga over crabmeat, and believe it to be one of the most sweet, tender, succulent proteins around.
Crab “fancies up” just about everything it graces. Even lowly party dip with crackers is taken to new heights by the addition of crab. This Warm Crab Pie Recipe is a wonderful small meal, first-course, or party dish with understated elegance.
Buttery homemade pastry filled with glorious lump crabmeat, tarragon and spice… No shelling necessary!
Consider serving this Warm Crab Pie Recipe for your New Year’s Eve party this year. The fresh hot herby crabmeat and homemade pastry shell are a show-stopper at any event.
Warm Crab Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes (1 1/2 sticks)
- 4-6 tablespoons ice cold water
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 8 ounces crab meat, cooked and drained
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon
- 1 small shallot grated
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- For the homemade puff pastry crust: Combine the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times. Add the cold butter and pulse until the bits of butter are the size of peas. Add the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between, until the dough comes together. It will be a bit lumpy.
- Shape the dough into a rectangle, then wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the dough on a floured work surface and roll out to a 8x20-inch rectangle. Trim the rough edges. Then cut down the center lengthwise. Cut each strip into 5 pieces, creating ten 4-inch squares of dough. Fold each square and place them into muffin tins. Press the centers down to the bottom and press the folds into the sides. Prick the bottoms of the shells several times with a fork. Bake the shells for 15 minutes. Then cool a little.
- In the meantime, combine the cream and eggs in a medium sized bowl. Whisk until smooth. Then stir in the crabmeat, tarragon, shallot, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Scoop the crab mixture into each shell evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the filling is puffed and the edges are golden. Serve warm.
We were just discussing what to do with the crabmeat in the freezer. It’d not fresh, but will do in a pinch. And this looks too good not to make right away on this cold New Year’s Eve in Dublin.
Thanks, and all the best for 2016.
-GK
what a tasty little bite SOmmer!
What a great little appetizer!
Yum! I’m attempting them with store-bought puff pastry (I don’t have a food processor). Hope it works! thanks for sharing!
We didn’t eat out often when I was young, but when we did, if crab was on the menu, I always ordered it too. Your tarts look delicious.
I too thought Red Lobster was the greatest place ever. It was the fancy seafood place my dad would take my mom for birthdays and anniversaries – so it must be amazing, right? I also loved the biscuits. And while I can't say I ever ate crab there, it is one of my favorite things from the sea. While I love it simply steamed, these also look spectacular. Hope you had a great holiday.
These little ones look beautiful and delicious. I am saving the recipe for my next party.
My first comment was, "oooooh, crab." These would be a perfect party appetizer, and I love the flavors here, especially the tarragon:)
These tarts are gorgeous and most definitely perfect for a New Years celebration :)
So precious. An excellent appetizer for any party. Mini food is just so appealing. ;)
What a beautiful read and recipe. I appreciate the tutorial as it helped me understand your process so clearly.
YUM!
:)
valerie
I loved the way you wrote this, and the crab cakes!!
Happy New Year!!
Your warm crab tartlets sound so delicious, perfect appetizers for sure!
Thats soooo deliciously looking! Perfect for this cold weather! Yay! Love this one. Bookmarked!
Crab is soooooo good.