Crab Filled Pastry Food

CRAB PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a mini muffin tin all over, even the top, set aside.
• Place the crab, mayonnaise, dijon, garlic, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Gently mixed together until combined, set aside.
• Unroll the dough onto a clean work surface and cut as evenly as you can into 24 equal square pieces. Press each piece into a section of the mini muffin tin, pressing down to form into the tin.
• Fill the cups with the crab mixture evenly. Bake for 11-13 minutes until golden brown.
• Let cool for a couple minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool until ready to eat.
• Garnish with more chopped parsley if desired.

CRAB IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Unfold pastry sheet; place on lightly floured surface. Roll into 10-inch square. Cut in half; place one half on top of the other. Roll to seal edges. Cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Cook onions in butter, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat.
• Gradually stir in milk and whipping cream. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients; heat through.
• Split each pastry horizontally with fork. Spoon crab mixture over bottom halves; top with remaining pastry halves. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

CRAB FILLED PASTRY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F In medium bowl, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise and horseradish until creamy. Stir in onion, lemon juice and crabmeat until well blended.
• Unroll 1 can of the dough; separate into 4 rectangles. Press each into 8x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. With pizza cutter, cut each into 8 squares. Spoon about 1 rounded measuring teaspoon crab mixture onto center of each square.
• Unroll second can of dough; separate into 4 rectangles. Press or roll each into 8x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Cut each into 8 squares. Place squares on top of crab mixture. Press edges with fork to seal; place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 375°F for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Sprinkle each with paprika and parsley; remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

CRAB PUFFS

Steps:

• Make sure to thaw puff pastry before starting. Carefully unfold the puff pastry sheets as soon as they are thawed. (If puff pastry has to wait for you to make the filling, cover it with a couple of sheets of damp paper towel to keep from drying out.)
• Preheat the oven to 400­° and lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
• Dice onion, bell pepper, and mince garlic. Preheat a small cooking pan over medium heat and sauté onion and bell pepper with a little bit of olive oil.
• When the veggies are completely softened, mix in garlic, and let it cook until fragrant. Transfer cooked veggies into a mixing bowl.
• Add remaining ingredients for the filling to the mixing bowl with veggies and use a spatula or a fork to mix everything thoroughly.
• Roll out the puff pastry sheets to about 12x12 size squares. Use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut each puff pastry sheet into 16 squares each.
• Fit each square into the cup of the prepared mini muffin pan, forming a little cup out of the pastry square. (You will need to work in batches, so make sure to cover the pastry with damp paper towel in between batches to prevent it from drying out.)
• Fill each pastry square with slightly less than 1 1/2 tablespoons of crab mixture. (I use a #40 cookie scoop to get even amount each time and fill it slightly less than full.)
• Bake for about 17 minutes, until pastry is golden brown. (Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.)

CRAB STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saute pan, add the scallions and garlic and cook over medium-low heat until the scallions are soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir.
• Shred the crabmeat into a bowl and mix with the parsley, lime juice, salt, to taste, and pepper. Add the crabmeat to the scallion mixture.
• Melt 10 tablespoons of butter in a small pan and set aside.
• Unfold 1 sheet of the phyllo dough. Brush the sheet with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Repeat the process by laying a second sheet of phyllo dough over the first sheet, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs until 5 sheets have been used. Spoon a 1-inch wide row of the crab mixture along 1 edge of the phyllo dough. Roll it up. Brush the top with butter and set aside. Repeat the entire process using the all the phyllo dough and crab filling.
• Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper. Score the crab strudel diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces and bake for 12 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Slice and serve.

CREAMY CRAB-STUFFED PASTRY BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, crab, onions, and tarragon; blend well.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place pastry sheets on a lightly floured cutting board; roll out to a 14x10 inch rectangle.
• Cut out 22 circles from each pastry sheet, using a 2-inch cutter.
• In a small cup, beat egg and milk with a fork until blended.
• Spoon 1 teaspoon crab mixture onto center of each pastry circle.
• Brush edge of pastry with egg mixture.
• Fold pastry in half to completely enclose filling; press edges together to seal.
• Place on baking sheet; brush tops with remaining egg mixture.
• Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve immediately.

CRAB & CHIVE FILO PARCELS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the crabmeat with the other filling ingredients and gently stir to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice or seasoning as necessary.
• Place one sheet of filo on the work surface. Split it in half and lay one half on top of the other. Add a quarter of the crab mixture to the middle of the pastry and shape it into a rectangle just a bit bigger than a debit card. Make a well in the middle of the mixture using your thumb, or the back of a spoon, and carefully put the egg yolk in it. Moisten the edges of the filo and fold them up and in to wrap the crab in a neat parcel. Make sure the edges are overlapping and there are no gaps. Turn the parcel over so the seams are facing down and repeat with the rest of the pastry and crab mixture.
• To make the salsa, toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan until aromatic and starting to crackle, taking care not to let them burn. Remove from the heat. Combine all the rest of the salsa ingredients in a bowl and add the cumin seeds. Stir, taste for seasoning and adjust as required.
• To cook the parcels, heat the olive oil and the butter in a frying pan until sizzling. Add the fennel seeds to flavour the oil then the parcels, one or two at a time, cooking for a couple of mins on each side until crispy and golden. Remove with a spatula and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the other parcels. Drain any of the leftover oil/butter/fennel mix used for frying into the salsa, then serve the parcels with the salsa on the side.

PIROSHKI (A SAVOURY, FILLED PASTRY)

Steps:

• For pastry: Cut butter into pieces.
• Combine flour, butter, and salt using a knife or pastry blender.
• Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons ice water.
• Form into ball as you would pie dough.
• May need to add remaining 2 tablespoons water.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Place pastry dough on floured board; roll out into rectangle.
• Fold over into thirds.
• Roll out again into rectangle.
• Continue rolling and folding five times.
• Rewrap in plastic; return to refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Grease baking sheet.
• Roll dough out to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Cut dough using 3 ½-inch round cutter.
• Place about 1 tablespoon of filling on each pastry circle.
• Fold dough over making half moons; press together edges together using ice water to seal.
• Place pies on baking sheet.
• Whisk together egg yolk and 2 tblsps water; brush pies with egg wash.
• Bake about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
• For Meat Filling: sauté onion in 2 tablespoons butter until soft.
• Add ground beef and sear until light gravy forms.
• Let cool.
• Mix in egg, dill, salt and pepper.
• For Potato Filling: Fry the onions in the butter until soft and golden-brown.
• Boil the potatoes in their jackets, then peel and mash them.
• Let cool slightly.
• Season with plenty of salt and pepper and mix in the onions and egg.
• For Mushroom Filling: In a pan or skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion, and shallots in the butter until the onion is translucent.
• Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Continue to cook, stirring until nearly all the moisture is evaporated.
• Cool mixture slightly and mix in cream cheese or mashed potato.
• I like to sprinkle poppy seeds over the egg washed pastries filled with the mushroom filling.
• Note: these pastries are very good made with phyllo pastry, too.

CRAB & SHRIMP IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Melt butter, add onion and red pepper and saute until just softened.
• Add flour and stir to incorporate the flour with the butter/onion mixture. Slowly add the cream, stirring constantly until all cream has been added. Cook until thick and smooth. Add crabmeat, raw shrimp, mushrooms and sherry to the sauce and cook until shrimp are pink through.
• Stir in the grated cheeses. Let simmer until reduced and thickened a little more.
• Line a deep dish pie plate (or any other type of ovenproof dish) with the pastry (keep the parchment paper and put that down first so the pastry won't burn to the bottom).
• Add the crab/shrimp mixture. Put another sheet of pastry (no parchment) on the top, pinch edges together. Cut vent holes in the top and brush with a little melted butter. Sprinkle with more cheese if you wish.
• Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden.

ALL PURPOSE CRAB STUFFING

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
• For stuffed shrimp -- butterfly them and put one tbsp of mixture on top and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Use the biggest shrimp you can find!
• For mussels -- place one tbsp of mixture on top of mussels and bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. (I buy a two pound frozen bag of New Zealand Mussels on the half shell from Fiesta Market. Just thaw -- top with some stuffing mixture and bake. Delicious!).
• Makes enough for generously stuffing 20 large shrimp or 2 lbs of mussels on the half shell.
• Sometimes I will drizzle melted butter over each stuffed mussel or shrimp but do so very very lightly. I will melt butter in the micro and then using a 1/8 tsp measuring spoon pour on each shrimp/mussel. Too much butter and it will become too rich.
• Lightly sprinkle paprika over all.
• I love this.

PUFF PASTRY SHELL CRAB APPETIZERS

Steps:

• Soften the cream cheese.
• Mix all ingredients except shells in bowl.
• Fill pastry shells (approx. 1/2 tsp each).
• Bake according to directions on pastry shell box.
• Serve warm.

CRAB & LEEK PASTIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, then cut round a plate to make four 18cm circles. Put in the fridge for 10 mins.
• In the meantime, melt the butter in a frying pan. Cook the leeks for 5 mins until soft. Soak the saffron in 1 tbsp of boiling water for 2 mins. Tip the saffron and soaking liquid into the leeks and cook for 1 min more.
• Put the crabmeat in a bowl with the parsley, breadcrumbs, zest and lemon juice and some seasoning. Stir in the leeks then divide the mix between the four pastry circles, laying the filling on one half of the pastry. Brush the edge with egg then fold the pastry over, pressing the edges together. Brush the pasties with egg and bake for 30-35 mins until golden. Leave to cool then serve warm or at room temperature with extra lemon wedges if you like.

CRAB STUFFED MINI PUFFS

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, butter and salt to a boil Add flour all at once, stir until a smooth ball forms.
• Remove from heat let stand 5 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat until smooth and shiny.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls 3 inchs apart on greased baking sheets.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove to wire racks.
• Immediately split puffs open, remove and discard soft dough from inside.
• For Filling, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream onion, salt, dill, lemon juice and pepper in a bowl.
• Fold in the crab.
• Fill bottom halves of puffs, replace tops.
• Serve immediately.