Crab Custard with Lemon Butter Sauce Recipe

Serves 4 to 8

In this recipe Quebec snow crab is combined with brocolli, oven-poached and served on a sauce, nouveau cuisine fashion.

Ingredients:

  • 1 brocolli bunch, medium, cut into small florets
  • 1/2 lb crab meat, fresh or frozen, trimmed of cartilege
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup milk, salt and ground white pepper
  • 1 pinch nutmeg, ground
  • Lemon Butter Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 shallot, dry,finely chopped
  • 1 cup butter, cut in pieces
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream
  • 1 lemon, juice of

    • Instructions:

    1. Ramekins can be filled ahead and oven poached at the last minute, or you can reheat the cooked flan in a microwave oven for about 2 minutes at Medium (50 percent).
    2. Cook brocolli florets in boiling salted water just until tender-crisp; drain.
    3. Generously brush 6 to 8 ramekin or custard cups with melted butter.
    4. Divide crab meat with brocolli among the ramekins.
    5. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and milk; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
    6. Fill ramekins three-quarters full with the custard and set in a shallow pan of hot water.
    7. Oven poach for 1 hour at 325F or until set. (A knife inserted in centre should come out clean.)
    8. Make Lemon Butter Sauce and pour onto 6 to 8 serving plates.
    9. Run a knife around the edge of each ramekin and unmold onto sauce.

    Lemon Butter Sauce:
    1. In small saucepan, heat wine and chopped shallot.
    2. Bring to a boil and reduce over medium-high heat until only 2 tablespoons of liquid remain.
    3. Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter, a few pieces at a time, until sauce is smooth and all the butter is incorporated.
    4. Whisk in cream and lemon juice.
    5. Keep warm in the top of a double boiler set over hot water until serving time. Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce.