Crab Brulee Recipe: The Decadent Seafood Twist You Didn’t Know You Needed!
This Crab Brulee Recipe is the savory version of your go-to creme brulee recipe. It uses swimmingly sweet crab meat dredged through a very similar rich and decadent foundation of a traditional creme brulee reciëpe. Do this once, and you won’t ever see creme brulee the same way again.
Crab Brulee you say for the first time?! No need – this salty twist on the classic French vanilla custard is surprisingly good. Having all the lusciousness and silky feel of your classic Crème Brûlée Custard, this exceptional alternative delivers savory notes from fresh crab and great spices.
This savory creme brulee is not too far off from eating a thicker variation of a warm crab bisque, only lighter and more elegant. This would make a wonderful brunch or just an afternoon snack, if you enjoy crab.
Crab Crème Brûlée Recipe Is Better With Fresh Crab
This Crab Brulee recipe is best when you slowly steam, crack and pick fresh Dungeness crab meat. Get fresh crab, if you can, though depending on the season and where you’re at, that may not be so easy. In that case, use lump crab meat that’s frozen or canned — but if you do so, be sure to look it over for any small pieces of shell that may be hiding in the meat.
How To Make The Crab Brulee Recipe Perfect?
Tip: The best tip for this Crab Brulee recipe is to use fresh crab meat.
Also, ensure you mix all ingredients well. The more you beat the cream mixture, the smoother the custard will be.
Reserve some crab meat for the top of the crab creme brulee — it’s an impressive presentation.
Key Elements Of This Recipe
Fresh Dungeness Crab Meat: Using freshly brewed Dungeness crabs for this recipe is all you need.
Old Bay Seasoning: It adds that slightly savory crab boil taste to your crab brulee.
The Components of Crab Brulee
1.5 cups Dungeness Crab Meat (about 1 whole crab)
Custard Mixture
3 cups Heavy Cream
6 Egg Yolks
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1.2 spoon White Pepper
Caramelized Sugar Crust
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1.5 teaspoons Salt
3.5 teaspoons Sugar
The Equipment Needed
Oven Safe Ramekins
Hand Mixer / Whisk
Baking Tray
Cook Your Dungeness Crab
Bring around 1 liter of water to a boil in a large pot.
Add your crab and let it boil for about 20 minutes.
After the crab is cooked, take it out of the pot and gently separate all the meat from the shell. All of the meat, reserve until ready to use.
Alternative: Depending on where you are and the time of year, fresh crab may not always be available. If so, you can use frozen or canned lump crab meat. Just be sure to check it carefully, for any small pieces of shell that might still be stuck in the meat dues you use it.
Craft The Custard Mixture
In your sauce pan (I like to use a metal sauce pan), pour in the heavy cream and add in the salt, white pepper and Old Bay Seasoning, let it simmer on medium low heat.
After it’s simmered and the cream and the seasonings are all fully integrated, take it off the heat, and allow it to cool so that the liquid is just slightly warm.
Prepare Egg Mixture
In a mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, and sugar whisk until smooth.
Then, with the electric mixer still running, gradually drizzle in the warm custard cream mixture and mix until homogeneously blended. Mix really well then set this aside while you prepare your ramekins.
Arrange 5 individual ceramic ramekins on a baking tray and add 1/4 of a cup of crab meat into each ramekin. Then, pour your custard mixture into each ramekin, filling about 3/4 of the way full.
Pour into each of the prepared ramekins to fill, leaving a little room for the torch to work later, then refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving. Crème brulee (which is now so common it can also be called crême brûlée) stands for burnt cream, so torch should be used…
2 | Set your ramekins on a baking pan, fill the pan with water until it will rise about 1/2 half up ramekins. (Add none of the water should splash into the ramekins themselves.)
Then bake the ramekins at 300°F for 35-45 mins until ready. (You’ll know they’re finished when the surface of the mixture looks a shade leathery.)
Take out of oven and let cool to room temp, then refrigerate at least 2 hours.
(blaze it)Torch Your Layer of Caramelized Sugar & Salt
Prepare your topping, whisking the granulated sugar and salt in a small bowl.
To serve, sprinkle a light layer of sugar & salt mixture across the top of the Crab Brulee and torch until the sugar has melted to a golden brown crust.
Garnish with a small amount of reserved crab meat & serve hot!
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Crab Crème Brûlée
Equipment
- Large pot (for boiling crab)
- Oven-safe ceramic ramekins (5 pieces)
- Baking tray
- Saucepan (for preparing custard mixture)
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk or hand mixer
- Kitchen torch (for caramelizing the sugar crust)
- Small bowl (for mixing sugar topping)
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- Custard Mixture:
- 1.5 cups Dungeness crab meat about 1 whole crab, cooked and picked
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 6 egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- Caramelized Sugar Crust:
- 3.5 teaspoons sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Bring 1 liter of water to a boil in a large pot.
- Add the crab and boil for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the crab, separate the meat from the shell, and set aside.
- If using frozen or canned lump crab meat, check carefully for any remaining shell fragments.
- Prepare the Custard Mixture:
- In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, Old Bay seasoning, white pepper, and salt.
- Simmer over medium-low heat until well blended, then remove from heat and let cool until just warm.
- Whisk the Egg Mixture:
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth.
- Gradually pour in the warm cream mixture while whisking continuously until fully blended.
- Assemble the Ramekins:
- Arrange 5 oven-safe ceramic ramekins on a baking tray.
- Add ¼ cup of crab meat to each ramekin.
- Pour the custard mixture into each ramekin, filling them about ¾ full.
- Bake the Custard:
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Place the baking tray with ramekins in the oven and fill the tray with water until it reaches halfway up the ramekins.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the custard has set and the surface appears slightly firm and leathery.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Caramelize the Sugar:
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and salt for the crust.
- Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of the sugar mixture over each ramekin.
- Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar until it forms a golden brown crust.
- Garnish and Serve:
- Top with a small amount of reserved crab meat.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Ensure the cream mixture is well-mixed for a smooth custard.
Refrigerate overnight for a deeper flavor and smoother texture.
Serve with crusty bread or crackers for added texture.
