Post #622250 by jokeiii on Tue, Jan 24, 2012 6:41 AM

OK, here's another midcentury gem, from Thomas Mario, who was the food & wine guy at Playboy back when that magazine was the ideal read for the young urban sophisticate. (So, mid-1960s...copyright on the book is 1971, recipes date from late 1950s to 1960s.)

Baked Crab with Almonds, Samoan-style

13oz crabmeat (jumbo lump or backfin'd be my guess)
6 T. chopped almonds
1 T. oil (I'd use peanut)
2 T. butter
¼ c. finely diced onion (no specifics, I say anything but red onion would work)
¼ c. finely diced celery
2 T. flour
1 c. light cream (pref. NOT ultra pasteurized, although that's a bear to find)
1 t. soy sauce (I like San-J low sodium tamari)
2 T. brandy
2 T. minced "canned" chile pepper (I'd use a fresh, not-TOO-hot, chile)
¼ c. bread crumbs (fresh is best!)

Pick the crabmeat over to remove any stray bits of shell. Toss almonds with oil and toast them. (Original recipe said in an oven at 375F. I'd not waste the oil, and toss them in a dry skillet at medium heat.) In a skillet, melt the butter and sautee (no temperature given, I'd say medium) the onion and celery until onion is translucent. Stir in flour and cook to make a roux, add cream and cook "over a moderate flame for 5 minutes" until thickened. In a bowl, combine cream sauce, crab, soy, brandy, chile, and salt/pepper to taste. (Original also calls for MSG, but I left it out, not that I mind MSG.) Stir in breadcrumbs, spoon into 4 shallow baking vessels or "coquille" shells and scatter almonds on top. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. (I'd let it go only to 10 minutes, seeing as how every single element of this dish is already cooked.)

I'm thinking this could also be "Rangooned" or made into something in the springroll family.

[ Edited by: jokeiii 2012-01-24 06:48 ]