Crab Quiche with Mushrooms
Crabbing for Dungeness Crab in the Northwest has been a family tradition for years. Often we would prepare a simple lunch of crab quiche with a large seasonal salad. It is a simple recipe that has been prepared by our children as teenagers.
Ingredients
Velouté Sauce
This is a fundamental sauce that can be used with many derivatives for other sauces.
- ¼ cup butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1½ cup of chicken or veal stock (less if juices of the dish will be added)
- Salt and pepper
- Nutmeg to taste
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- ⅓ cup cream
Make a white roux by melting the butter in a double boiler or heavy pan over low heat and blending in the flour. Do not allow it to brown - watch your stove temperature! Pour in the hot broth and beat until smooth and well blended. Add the seasoning to taste and cook over hot water on very low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
The sauce may be cooled and refrigerated for several days or it may be frozen (I prefer freezer trays as the liquid freezes quickly and can than be broken up and kept in freezer bags for later use).
When ready to use, heat, adding the egg yolk mixed with the cream at the last moment. Do not allow the sauce to boil after the adding the yolk and cream.
Quiche Mixture
- ½ lb butter
- 4 eggs, beaten
- ⅓ cup cognac
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- ¼ lb mushrooms, coarse chopped
- 1 pre baked 9"x13" pastry shell
- ½ lb crab, flaked
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup Esser
- Fresh herbs, chopped:
- 1 tbsp fine seasonal herbs
- 1 tsp aromatic seasonal herbs
Bechamel Sauce
This sauce is made the same way as the Velouté sauce, but hot milk is substituted for the broth. Follow the same method, proportion and cooking time as the Velouté Sauce above.
Instructions
- Prepare Bechamel sauce. Let simmer for at least 25 minutes. Meanwhile melt 1- 1½ Tbsp butter and sauté shallots in sauté skillet. Pour in the wine, simmer. Stir into Bechamel.
- Melt 2-3 Tbsp butter in another pan and sauté the crab on low-medium heat. Pour in the cognac and ignite. Add to the Bechamel along with the herbs, sour cream, eggs, and cheese.
- Now melt 4 Tbsp butter, when very hot sauté mushrooms, add the garlic and stir in the egg mixture. Pour into the pre-baked shell and loosely cover with tin foil.
- Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove and uncover for at least 10 minutes.
- Serve on individual plates with seasonal salad.