Crab pie

 

     A delicious make-ahead dish, Crab pie extends a small amount of expansive lump crabmeat to serve eight. Serve small portions for an elegant first course. Cooked lobster can be substituted for the crab.

Makes 8 servings

Pie dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops
• ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
• One-third cup lowfat plain yogurt
• ¼ teaspoon liquid red-pepper seasoning

Filling

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and quatered
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed and drained
• 12 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over to remove bits of cartilage

Prepare Pie dough

1. Stir together flour, green onion, paprika and salt in large bowl ; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Stir in yogurt and red-pepper seasoning just until mixture comes together ; transfer to lightly floured work surface.
3. With heel of hand, break off pieces of dough, and then work back together with heel until all the dough has been worked and is together again ; pat into a flat disk.
4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Prepare filling

1. Heat butter in large skillet over low heat.
2. Add onion ; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 7 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms ; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until lightly colored.
4. Stir in flour, increase heat to medium ; cook, stirring, 1 minute.
5. Stir in milk, salt, nutmeg and pepper ; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in peas and crab ; pour into 9-inch pie plate and set plate on baking sheet.
7. Preheat oven to 375F.
8. Roll pie dough out on lightly floured work surface with lightly floured rolling pin into 12-inch round ; place over filling.
9. Fold overhanging dough under, crimp edges in decorative border ; cut a sream vent in top.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until crust is golden and filling bubbly.

BON APPÉTIT