In my book, lump crabmeat spells luxury, and I can’t think of a better way to pamper my guests than starting off with a sumptuous serving. Offering my friends a mound of crab in crab or scallop shells makes me feel as if I’m bringing the sea to the table. Scallop shells are usually easier to find than crab shells, although I’ve seen both at kitchen supply stores. If you can’t find shells, use small ramekins. For a speedy main course, double the recipe and bake the crab in larger ramekins. Serve with a green salad and loaves of crusty bread.

　　

Ingredients

makes about eight 1/2-cup servings

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　1/2 cup diced red onion (about half a medium onion)

　　1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into small dice

　　1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into small dice

　　1/2 cup mayonnaise

　　2 tablespoons Creole or Dijon mustard

　　2 tablespoons drained nonpareil capers

　　1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

　　2 large eggs, lightly whisked

　　2 shakes Tabasco sauce

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley or fresh dill

　　1 pound jumbo lump crab

　　1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs

　　1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

　　Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat 8 scallop shells, crab shells, or 2 1/2-inch-diameter heatproof ramekins with cooking spray.

　　

Step 2

Place the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the onion and bell peppers and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. (No need to wash the skillet yet.)

　　

Step 3

In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, capers, Cajun seasoning, eggs, Tabasco, and parsley. Stir in the sautéed vegetables, crab, 1 cup of the panko crumbs, salt, and pepper. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the crab mixture into each of the prepared shells. Set aside.

　　

Step 4

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat in the skillet used to sauté the vegetables. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of panko and stir to coat the crumbs with butter. Top each portion of crab with about a tablespoon of the buttered crumbs. Bake until the crumb topping turns golden brown and the crab mixture is heated through, 10 to 15 minutes (a little longer if the crab mixture has been refrigerated).

　　

Step 5

Serve immediately.

　　

variation

Step 6

For a passed appetizer, shape the crab mixture into bite-size cakes. Coat them in panko crumbs and sauté in a skillet heated with 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the crab cakes are golden brown on both sides and heated all the way through, about 3 minutes per side.

　　

do it early

Step 7

The dish can be prepared and refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours before baking.

　　

tip

Step 8

Don’t want the hassle of preparing individual servings? Add the crab mixture to a large, shallow, ovenproof casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with buttered panko crumbs and bake until the crab casserole is warm throughout, at least 15 minutes.

　　Pastry Queen Parties by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Copyright © 2009 Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.A pastry chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, native Texan Rebecca Rather has been proprietor of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Café since 1999. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, Rather Sweet has a fiercely loyal cadre of regulars who populate the café’s sunlit tables each day. In 2007, Rebecca opened her eponymous restaurant, serving dinner nightly, just a few blocks from the café.  Rebecca is the author of THE PASTRY QUEEN, and has been featured in Texas Monthly, Gourmet, Ladies Home Journal, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Chocolatier, Saveur, and O, The Oprah Magazine. When she isn’t in the bakery or on horseback, Rebecca enjoys the sweet life in Fredericksburg, where she tends to her beloved backyard garden and menagerie, and eagerly awaits visits from her college-age daughter, Frances.Alison Oresman has worked as a journalist for more than twenty years. She has written and edited for newspapers in Wyoming, Florida, and Washington State. As an entertainment editor for the Miami Herald, she oversaw the paper’s restaurant coverage and wrote a weekly column as a restaurant critic. After settling in Washington State, she also covered restaurants in the greater Seattle area as a critic with a weekly column. A dedicated home baker, Alison is often in the kitchen when she isn't writing. Alison lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband, Warren, and their children, Danny and Callie.