Description
This Cajun crabmeat au gratin is rich, comforting, and loaded with bold Southern flavor. Sweet crab is folded into a silky, cheesy cream sauce seasoned with classic Cajun spices, then baked until bubbly and golden. It works beautifully as a dinner-party appetizer or a decadent main dish—and you can easily add shrimp or crawfish to make it even more indulgent.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 4 oz (110 g) butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup finely chopped celery
- ¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon mixed ground pepper (red, white, or black)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 12–16 oz crabmeat, picked over
- 12–16 oz crawfish tails or raw small-to-medium shrimp
- 1 small bunch green onions, sliced into ½-inch pieces
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly butter a 9×9-inch baking dish or individual oven-safe ramekins.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the heavy cream until smooth. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and red bell pepper. Cook for 3–5 minutes until softened.
- Season the vegetables with salt, mixed pepper, garlic powder, celery salt, and Cajun seasoning. Lower the heat, cover, and let them cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly over medium heat for about 5 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Slowly pour in the egg-and-cream mixture, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Set aside about ½ cup of the combined cheeses for topping. Stir the remaining cheddar and mozzarella into the sauce until fully melted and smooth.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Gently fold in the crabmeat and the crawfish or shrimp, being careful not to break up the crab too much.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the gratin is bubbling and lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and scatter green onions over the top. Let it rest for a few minutes so the cheese settles before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
Nutrition
- Calories: 876
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 1216 mg
- Fat: 77 g
- Saturated Fat: 46 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 23 g
- Trans Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 321 mg