Crab Toast

By Gabrielle Hamilton

Published April 26, 2020

Crab Toast
Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(886)
Comments
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Like the very best crab cakes on earth, which have as little dulling, distracting or deadening filler as possible, these crab toasts take that ethos to the extreme. There is no call for bell pepper or bread crumbs or diced celery; just the best fresh, sweet, saline crab meat you can buy, gently seasoned with a little lemon juice, bound with a tiny amount of tangy crème fraîche, then piled onto a slab of good toast, still warm. The toast is made ever so luxurious with a slathering of nutty brown butter mayonnaise. These two simple components — crab and brown butter toast — act in concert, and a glass of cold rosé to wash them down makes for the most exhilarating, satisfying spring supper imaginable.

Featured in: When You Need a Break From Beans, Crab on Toast Is the Answer

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ½cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 1whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 2tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Kosher salt
  • ½cup grapeseed oil
  • 12ounces crab meat
  • 4teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2teaspoons finely minced chives
  • 1teaspoon crème fraîche, sour cream, heavy cream or half-and-half
  • 4 to 6slices pane Francese, black pumpernickel or other rustic bread, toasted on both sides
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

684 calories; 59 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 22 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 671 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small sauce pot, brown the butter over medium heat, swirling the pot, until the butter is caramel-colored and has a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, scraping up all the milk solids from the bottom and sides of the pot while the butter is still hot, and let cool to room temperature.

  2. Step 2

    Place the egg and egg yolk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a healthy pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon cold water in the bowl of a food processor. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil. Once all the oil has been added, the mayonnaise should be loose yet emulsified. While the processor is still running, slowly drizzle in the brown butter and any toasted milk solids. Season to taste with salt and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    For the crab salad, gently and quickly mix crab meat, olive oil, chives, crème fraîche and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt.

  4. Step 4

    Schmear each piece of toasted bread with the brown butter mayonnaise evenly — as we like to say, “wall to wall.” Divide the crab mixture among the slices, piling it evenly on top.

Ratings

4 out of 5
886 user ratings
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Comments

Ryan

This recipe should have ended thus: "Divide the crab mixture among the slices, piling it evenly on top. AND EAT IT ALL YOURSELF SHARING WITH NO ONE!"

Alexa Weibel, Senior Staff Editor, NYT Cooking

This brown butter mayonnaise is the very best thing I have eaten all quarantine — and I'll love it forevermore.

Paggy

Can you use olive oil instead of grapeseed oil for the mayo?

Cindy

I am in love! OMG, so great that even my "not-crab-loving" husband asked for leftovers the next day. Follow recipe as written and served it over English Muffin toast (not to be confused with English Muffins, although a truly great English Muffin would be fine!) There are only 2 of us so we had dinner one night and lunch the next day.

Annie

This was excellent! I made this for a 7-fishes cocktail party but due to an unfortunate incident involving too many related cooks in the kitchen the aioli broke and was completely unsalvageable. This dish was so light and delicious that we decided the aioli was just a nice to have. Served chilled with Effie's Corn Biscuits and that bit of sweetness only amplified the crab.

Lauren

Amazing and easy appetizer. Used toasted country bread slices, crème fraîche and dungeness crab meat. Also followed some of the advice below and just mixed brown butter into store bought mayo and it was perfect. Just be careful not to plate too early or else it will get soggy.

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