Crab Gratin
Submitted by pielie
Layered crab gratin over linguine with mushrooms, white wine, clam juice, and tarragon in a light cream sauce, baked and broiled until golden. A refined seafood pasta bake.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minThis gratin takes the best parts of a seafood pasta and turns them into something you’d proudly bring to the table in its baking dish.
Linguine tossed with steamed mushrooms sits in a bed of tarragon-scented sauce made from clam juice, white wine, and lemon. Crab meat folded into the remaining sauce goes on top, gets a scatter of breadcrumbs, and bakes until heated through with a quick broil for that golden crust.
The sauce is light and brothy rather than heavy, built on clam juice instead of loads of cream. Coriander, tarragon, soy sauce, and tomatoes give it a complexity that keeps you reaching for another forkful.
Chef Tips
- Cook the linguine just to al dente. It continues to cook in the oven, so pulling it a minute early prevents mushiness.
- Steam the mushrooms with lemon juice and save that liquid. Those mushroom juices get stirred into the sauce, adding an extra layer of earthy depth.
- Make the flour paste with cold clam juice first. Mixing flour into cold liquid before heating guarantees a smooth, lump-free sauce every time.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Follow package directions to prepare linguine.
Cook just until al dente, still slightly firm. Drain at once.
Cook under cold running water and put aside to drain thoroughly.
Place in a mixing bowl.
Put mushrooms in a small pot.
Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Add water. Place aluminum foil directly over mushrooms.
Cover pot with a lid.
Place on high heat. Cook for about 1 minute just until steam begins to escape from pot.
With a skimmer, transfer mushrooms to a dish.
Reserve juices. There will be about ¼ cup.
Put flour in a 3 to 4 cup saucepan and stir in a little clam juice to make a smooth paste.
Stir in remaining clam juice, lemon juice, white wine and reserved mushroom juice.
Season with coriander, tarragon, black pepper and soy sauce.
Place over medium heat and bring liquid to a simmer, stirring constantly.
Cook and stir until mixture thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in heavy cream, then parsley and tomatoes. There will be about 2½ cups.
Lightly oil a 6 cup gratin dish.
Add mushrooms to the pasta. Pour half the sauce over the pasta mixture.
Mix well. Scrape into gratin dish and pat linguine into a smooth layer.
Gently, mix remaining sauce with crabmeat and spoon over the linguine.
Sprinkle bread crumbs over top.
Bake for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated through. If the top has not browned, slip under the broiler for a brief minute.
Serve directly from gratin dish.
Serves 4.
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