PAT This being Happy Hour, we’ve gotta have crab-stuffed mushrooms. And any time I can get Gina to eat mushrooms with me, I do! (Guys, let me tell you, I’ve been told mushrooms are an aphrodisiac, so when the guests leave it might be time for your Happy Hour!)

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　24 large (about 2-inch-diameter) mushrooms

　　2 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted butter

　　1 shallot, finely diced

　　2 cloves garlic, minced

　　Pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes

　　1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

　　2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

　　1/2 cup mayonnaise

　　1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

　　2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

　　1 egg, lightly beaten

　　Juice of 1/2 lemon

　　Dash of hot sauce, preferably Tabasco

　　8 ounces lump crabmeat

　　

Step 1

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

　　

Step 2

Remove the mushroom stems, and coarsely chop them.

　　

Step 3

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium sauté pan set over medium heat. Once the butter foams, add the chopped mushroom stems, shallot, garlic, and red-pepper flakes, and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Pour the panko and parsley into the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat with the butter. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.

　　

Step 4

Combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, cheese, egg, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the mushroom mixture, then gently fold in the crabmeat, being careful not to break up lumps of crabmeat (they taste good!).

　　

Step 5

Spread the mushroom caps on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Brush both sides of the mushroom caps with the melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Fill each cap with a generous spoonful of the crab mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are hot and tender.

　　

NOTE

Step 6

If you have some leftover filling, you can fill a small ramekin and top with Parmesan cheese for an easy gratin dip.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.