Food Network Magazine (November 2016)
For previous Fakesgivings, we've deliberately chosen recipes that are a little more "out there" just to serve something unusual to our friends.
A green bean casserole with homemade Doritos? Check. A dish of only braised celery? Uh huh. Whipped sweet potatoes with banana? Yup.
This year, that dish was Deviled Crab Stuffing.
Crab? In stuffing? It seemed just out there enough that we had to try it.
Sure, we've had oysters in stuffing (and have even made some different versions a few times). We've enjoyed trying those oyster stuffings. But to be honest, you'd probably never find it on our own Thanksgiving table. Our reaction is always more "this is interesting!" than "this is delicious."
But here's what we weren't expecting with this Deviled Crab Stuffing: We freakin' loved it!
We and our guests raved at this dish. It's like a mashup between a traditional stuffing and a crab cake, with a very prominent crab flavor (unlike some of the oyster stuffings we've tried where the oyster flavor has gotten a little lost). It has bits of roasted red pepper, scallions and a hint of paprika. The flavor is dynamite.
Would you serve a crab stuffing at your Thanksgiving? Let us know in the comments!
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Deviled Crab Stuffing
Food Network Magazine (November 2016)
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(This photo: Ryan Dausch for Food Network Magazine)
NOTES FROM ZACH AND CLAY:
We compiled this stuffing the day before our Fakesgiving meal and stored it in the fridge overnight. Then we baked it prior to serving.
Total Time: 1 hr 25 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
1 bunch scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
3 cups low-sodium turkey or chicken broth
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large eggs
16 cups 1/2-inch stale potato bread cubes (11/2 pounds)
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
1 teaspoon paprika
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, bell pepper and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Add the thyme and sherry and cook, stirring, until the sherry is mostly reduced, 3 minutes. Add the broth, 1 teaspoon salt and the cayenne; bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and add the scallion greens. Add the bread cubes, vegetable-broth mixture and crabmeat and stir until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into small cubes and scatter evenly over the stuffing; sprinkle with the paprika. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 more minutes.
