Crabmeat Supreme

This is old-school entertaining food at its finest. Two pounds of crab meat get folded into a rich white sauce spiked with a full cup of sherry, hot pepper sauce, and the juice of two lemons, then baked under a cracker crumb crust until golden.

The sauce is built in a double boiler to keep it smooth. Flour and butter form the base, then milk goes in slowly while you stir until thick and glossy. Cooking it gently over indirect heat means no scorching and no lumps. That velvety sauce is what makes this casserole feel luxurious.

The vegetable base of onion, bell pepper, and celery is a classic Cajun holy trinity, softened in butter without browning. Combined with mushrooms, pimentos, and parsley, there’s a lot of flavor supporting the crab without overwhelming it.

Pro Tips

• Cook the vegetables gently in butter without letting them color. Browned onions would clash with the delicate crab flavor.
• Stir the milk into the flour mixture very slowly in the double boiler. Patience here is the difference between a silky sauce and a lumpy one.
• This recipe assembles ahead beautifully. Build the casserole, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Add 5-10 minutes to the baking time if going straight from the fridge.
• Check the crab meat carefully for shell fragments before mixing.

Variations

• Use fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter instead of canned for a deeper, earthier mushroom flavor.
• Top with buttered Panko breadcrumbs instead of cracker crumbs for a lighter, crunchier crust.
• Swap half the crab for cooked shrimp for a mixed seafood casserole.