Stuffed Crabs with Absinthe Cream
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe by:
Serves: 4 to 8
Ingredients
Stuffed Crabs
  • 8 crab back shells, cleaned
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
  • ½ cup finely diced celery
  • ½ cup finely diced green bell pepper
  • ¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • ½ tablespoon chopped thyme
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons diced green onion tops
  • Zest and juice of 1 medium-size lemon
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • Dash of hot sauce
  • ½ tablespoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups fresh dried breadcrumbs, divided, plus more if needed
  • 1 pound lump white crabmeat
  • 8 small sprigs of fresh thyme
Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup finely diced white onion
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¼ cup absinthe or an anise-flavored spirit
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • Kosher salt
Instructions
Stuffed Crabs
  1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF.
  2. Inspect the crab shells to make sure they are cleaned and free of any loose shell pieces.
  3. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Sauté the onion, celery, and bell peppers until the onions turn translucent. Lower the heat and stir in the garlic, thyme, parsley, and green onion. Add the lemon zest and juice. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and let cool.
  4. Add the mayonnaise, Worcestershire, and eggs. Stir to combine and season with hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, white pepper, salt, and black pepper. Begin adding 1 ½ cups of the breadcrumbs and mix together to form a moist stuffing; add more breadcrumbs if necessary. Add the crabmeat and mix gently to distribute evenly throughout the mixture.
  5. Add the stuffing to the crab shells and top off with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs. Place on a metal tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until browned on top and cooked through.
Sauce
  1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the absinthe and be careful if it flames. Let the liquid reduce and the liquor cook off, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the cream; stir while the large bubbles begin to appear and moisture escapes. When thickened to coat the back of a spoon, season with white pepper and salt. Keep warm.
  2. For serving, move the stuffed crabs to a large platter and spoon over the warm cream sauce. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.
Recipe by Acadiana Table at https://www.acadianatable.com/?p=11772