Crab Rillettes
Before every kitchen had a fridge, home cooks would often preserve fish and meat in pots under a seal of melted butter. Enter rillettes. You can cook whole fresh or frozen snow crabs and remove the flesh yourself for this recipe. For optimal consistency, wait 15 minutes after you pull your ramekin out of the […]
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 7 oz (200 g) snow crab meat, shredded and patted dry (see note)
- 1/2 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) Sriracha
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
- Chives, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a microwave, melt 2 tbsp of the butter. Let cool to allow the butter to separate. Strain through a fine sieve, keeping only the top layer of fat. Discard any milk solids. Keep warm.
- In a bowl, combine the crab, remaining butter, garlic, Sriracha and lemon zest with an electric mixer. With the mixer running, gradually add the lemon juice until the mixture is creamy and emulsified. Season with pepper.
- Transfer the mixture to a jar, pressing down with a fork to remove any air. Cover the surface of the rillettes with the reserved butter. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chives, if desired. Serve with toasted bread or crackers. The rillettes will keep in the refrigerator for 3 weeks.
Before every kitchen had a fridge, home cooks would often preserve fish and meat in pots under a seal of melted butter. Enter rillettes. You can cook whole fresh or frozen snow crabs and remove the flesh yourself for this recipe. For optimal consistency, wait 15 minutes after you pull your ramekin out of the fridge before spreading the potted crab on a slice of toasted bread… Your taste buds will thank you.