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Delightfully creamy and rich, crab imperial is as delicious as a Maryland crab cake, but a lot less fussy to make.
By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated September 22, 2022
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Why It Works
- A flavorful mayonnaise-based mixture binds tender pieces of crabmeat for a luxurious dip.
- Tossing the bread crumbs with melted butter makes them brown more beautifully and improves their flavor.
People are funny about crab cakes. You can spendseveral hundred wordsexplaining why a proper Maryland crab cake should have minimal breading and binders and a light-ish touch of flavorings and spices, and a select few are bound to come right back at you demanding just the opposite. "But they don't hold together!" they say. "You just need to handle them more delicately," you respond. "But the pieces of crab are too large!" they say. "That's precisely why they're special," you respond. "But it's too much crab and not enough bread and mayonnaise!" they say. "They're crab cakes, not bread cakes," you respond. "But they don't have enough spices and flavorings!" they say.
"Well, make crab imperial, in that case!" you respond.
See, much of my family is from Maryland, and I grew up spending my summers there with my grandmother.My mother and aunt used to tear through the carapaces of three to four crabs in the time it took me to pick one—and I'mfast. That means I have deeply held opinions about crab cakes, and I'm not about to capitulate to the breadier, shreddier, mayonnais-ier, spicier crew. But I understand that we don't all want the same things, and I'm willing to offer what I think is a fine alternative: crab imperial.
I'd describe it as a hot crab dip, a crab casserole, or crab gratin: blue crabmeat tossed with a generous dose of mayonnaise; seasoned with Old Bay, onion or shallots, mustard, and lemon; and topped with buttery bread crumbs that turn golden in the oven. In essence, it takes all the things that would turn a crab cake into an overseasoned, dense, and pasty travesty, and finds a way to make the most of them.
Instead of acting as a leaden binder, the bread crumbs are toasty and crisp on top. Instead of making an overly wet and gloppy crab cake, the mayo makes a delightfully wet and gloppy dip (I mean that in the best way possible). Instead of overpowering the flavor of the sweet and tender hunks of lump crabmeat in a crab cake, the more generous spicing of crab imperial is a riot for the mouth, which means the dish doesn't require such prime lumps of meat. You can use a less expensive sampling of shreddier bits of picked meat, often sold as "special" grade.
Making it is as simple as mixing together all the ingredients, putting the buttered bread crumbs on top, and cooking it in the oven until it's hot throughout and browned on top. Then go to town, dipping saltines or croutons or just a plain old spoon into it. I wouldn't dare tell you how to eat it.
August 2017
Recipe Details
Maryland Crab Imperial With Buttery Golden Bread Crumbs Recipe
Prep15 mins
Cook20 mins
Active15 mins
Total35 mins
Serves4to 6 servings
Ingredients
1 pound (450g) special or lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1/2 cup (115g)mayonnaise
2 tablespoons (30g) Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons (10ml) fresh juice from 1 lemon, plus grated zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons(8g) minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bayseasoning
1 small shallot, finely minced (about 2 tablespoons)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (1 ounce; 30g)
2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, melted
Baguette toasts, saltines, or other crackers, for serving (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a medium bowl, stir together crabmeat, mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice and zest, parsley, Old Bay, and shallot until evenly incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, stir bread crumbs with melted butter until evenly coated. Season with salt.
Pack crab mixture in a 1-quart baking or gratin dish, then layer buttered bread crumbs evenly on top. Set on top of a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crab mixture is heated through and bread crumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. Serve with toasts or crackers, if desired.
Special Equipment
Rimmed baking sheet, 1-quart gratin or baking dish
Read More
- Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
- Maryland Crab Boil Recipe
- Crab
- Savory
- Dips
- Quick Snacks
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
252 | Calories |
19g | Fat |
5g | Carbs |
15g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 4to 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 252 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 19g | 24% |
Saturated Fat 5g | 25% |
Cholesterol 91mg | 30% |
Sodium 951mg | 41% |
Total Carbohydrate 5g | 2% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 2% |
Total Sugars 1g | |
Protein 15g | |
Vitamin C 5mg | 26% |
Calcium 89mg | 7% |
Iron 1mg | 5% |
Potassium 240mg | 5% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)