Crab au gratin

Description

This is a variation on Almena's recipe, Countess of Carnarvon, grandmother of the present Earl.

Ingredients

1oz/30g butter
1oz/30g plain flour
1pint full fat milk
¼ pint double cream
4oz/113g gruyere cheese, finely grated
pinch ground cayenne
pinch ground cloves
1lb/455g freshly cooked white crabmeat
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
For the melba toast
6 slices medium white bread
For the salad
dressed mixed salad leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Gently melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook, whisking for one minute. In a separate pan, heat together the milk and double cream.
3. Remove the butter and flour mixture from the heat and whisk in the heated milk and cream. Return to the heat, gently bring to the boil, then simmer, whisking for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
4. Add three quarters of the cheese, the cayenne and cloves and two-thirds of the crab.
Season.
5. Divide the remaining crabmeat between eight ramekins. Top with the crab and cheese sauce mixture, a sprinkling of breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese.
6. Place the ramekins onto a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until bubbling hot and golden.
7. To make the melba toast, grill the bread on both sides until golden. Cut off the crusts and slice the bread in half horizontally, then into triangles. Place the bread back under the grill, cut side up until golden and curled.
8. Serve the crab au gratin with melba toast and dressed mixed salad.