Crab Tarts - Justice to the crab and your taste buds!

I have mentioned it a million times on this blog - shellfish is my favorite meat. The pleasure from a shellfish's sweet and succulent flesh is, to me, unmatched by even the rarest cut of the finest red meat and I love find new ways of relishing the flavor. And happily, the meat comes alive with creativity!

The good thing about crab meat is that although the flesh itself is mild in taste, with the right ingredient pairing, the whole dish can be infused with its subtle flavor. It is, ofcourse, important to ensure that no other ingredient in the dish is individually strong enough to overwhelm the crustacean.

And, baked dishes are a great way to show case crab meat. Baking is a slower cooking process that allows the ingredients to come together and enhance the meat's flavor. And I like tarts because they add a personal touch to the meal; it is always great to serve guests individual platters of entrees - feels very made to order!

So, anyway, combining my love for the chosen meat and the baking technique, I made crab tarts recently and they sure did not last long. The cheeses and the crab's succulence work together for a melt-in-your-mouth creaminess and the scallions add a subtle flavor to the tarts. Tarts work great as appetizers as well as entrees.

Being ingredient light, the crab tart is not only an easy bake, but also lends itself to other seafood meats; the crab can easily be substituted with shrimp or any firm, white fish. If you are vegetarian, shittake mushrooms are a great substitute.

Creamy Crab Tarts

1 can (7.5 oz) lump crab meat, drained

1 T lemon juice

1/2 cup finely diced celery

3 scallions minced

2 eggs

1/4 cup cream cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1 tp Worcestershire sauce

1 T minced fresh parsley

Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper to taste

1 store bought pie sheet

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you are making individual tarts, cut the pie sheet to fit the ramekins. Line the ramekins or a 9 inch tart pan with the pastry sheet. Prick the pastry at the bottom to prevent too much rising and bake it blind for 10 minutes or until just starting to golden.

In the meantime, mix all the other ingredients and check the seasoning. When the tart shells are ready, spoon the mixture and fill upto three-fourths of each cup. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the filling is springy to touch. Cool on a rack for few minutes and serve.