Outer Banks Crab Gratin

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Whisk 1/3 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Heat the remaining 1/3 cup milk and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Whisk in the flour mixture; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 30 to 60 seconds. Finely chop egg whites. Combine with crabmeat, mayonnaise, jalapeño (if using), dry mustard, cayenne, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the milk mixture. Spoon into a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs on top. Bake until heated through, about 25 minutes.

Tips & Notes

• Tips: To hard-boil eggs, place in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water and fill the pan with a mixture of cold water and ice cubes; let stand until the eggs are completely cooled.
• To make fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh crumbs. For dry breadcrumbs, spread the fresh crumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until crispy, about 15 minutes. One slice of fresh bread makes about 1/3 cup dry crumbs. Or use prepared coarse dry breadcrumbs. We like Ian's brand labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets.

Nutrition