Spotting Lunch - Crab Melt on Wholewheat English Muffins

For as long as I can remember my mother's choice sandwich was a tuna melt. A summer or two ago I remember her bringing home half a tuna melt sandwich from The Summer Kitchen in Newtown, Pennsylvania that looked so good every time I go to that restaurant I see if it's on the menu. We'd also make tuna melts at home for a quick lunch of dinner. I like it better than the average tuna salad sandwich (although I did make a tuna salad with grilled ahi tuna - AMAZING)... When I was on TasteSpotting looking for something for lunch and found cafenilson's crab melt - I was sold! I'll probably be trying this recipe out for my mom for Mother's Day - I know she'll love it!

Photo from cafenilson

Crab Melt on Wholewheat English Muffins
via cafenilson

Ingredients:

• 1 cup crab meat (you can use the real thing or the imitation crab, either way it still tastes good)
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 tbs flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, fat -free half and half or milk (I use whatever I have in my refrigerator)
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded and divided into two or 4 portions depending on size of muffins used (see below)
• paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 halves english muffins or 2 large ones

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a medium hot sauce pan. Add flour to make a roux. Add cream (or milk) and cook until thick. Add more or less cream to make a thick enough white sauce. Add crab meat pieces, stir carefully and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
2. Place muffin halves in a baking sheet. Divide the crab mixture in half (or four if using regular sized english muffins.)
3. Add crab mixture on top of muffin, enough to cover. Add the cheese on top. Cheese need not cover the muffin as it will melt and spread so watch out how much you put. Sprinkle with paprika on top.
4. Broil in the oven until cheese melts and top is crusty golden brown, usually 10 - 15 minutes.
5. Remove and serve with salad of choice.

The serving suggestion from cafenilson is that you serve the crab melts with a salad and I agree. This would be great with almost any kind of salad that you could think of. I came across a cucumber salad in Barefoot Contessa "Back to Basics" which would be a nice along side this. But a simple red onion and heirloom tomato salad would be equally as nice. Ina's tabbouleh salad (minus the pitas) would be a great choice too!

Here's to Alaska and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Dinner Birthday Edition - Filet Oscar

On special occasions, like birthdays or when I had some artwork in a school gallery show my family and I go out to a nice dinner. My sister and I usually order filet mignon in some form - usually wrapped with bacon. When I found foodiebride's Filet Oscar on TasteSpotting, I thought that would be perfect. I love crab meat, I love asparagus, and who doesn't like bearnaise sauce?

Photo from jasonandshawnda

Filet Oscar Style

via jasonandshawnda

2 Alaskan King Crab legs
Tips from 1 lb asparagus, blanched
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 beef tenderloin steaks
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh tarragon
3 eggs yolks
1 stick butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Steam the crab legs: Preheat oven to 375. Place the king crab legs in a loose-fitting foil pouch. Before sealing tightly, add a small amount of water. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Using a fork or a crab-leg-meat-getter-outer, remove the meat from the crab legs and place in a medium bowl along with the blanched asparagus tips. Gently break up any overly-large pieces with your hands.

Cook the steaks: In a large, oven-safe saute pan, melt butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Pat the steaks dry and season both sides liberally with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Place the steaks in the pan and sear 3-4 minutes. Flip, sear for 3 minutes more and place the pan into the oven. Cook to an internal temperature of 135 (medium rare), remove from oven and tent with foil while you finish the sauce.

Make the Béarnaise sauce: Boil wine, vinegar, shallots, and fresh tarragon in a small heavy saucepan until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve set into a medium bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids.

Whisk the yolks into the vinegar mixture, and then set bowl over a double boiler and cook until hot, whisking constantly until yolks have thickened slightly. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, adding each piece before previous one has melted completely. Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste). Keep warm, if necessary, by leaving it on the double-boiler but make sure to turn off the heat.

Assemble: Add about 1/3 cup of the sauce to the bowl of crab and asparagus. Lightly toss to coat. Plate the steaks and top with a generous portion of the crab-asparagus mixture. Top with additional Béarnaise sauce and serve.

Serves 4
Béarnaise Sauce: Slightly adapted from Gourmet

Originally uploaded by Confections of a Foodie Bride.

The great thing about this recipe, even though it's elegant, there aren't many needed ingredients. So, it makes the dish completely "do-able". I'd love this served with a small serving of whipped mashed potatoes and perhaps some simply cooked carrots.

Here's to Alaska and full bellies.

- Cait