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Recipes
November 2008

Dungeness Crab and Heirloom Bean Brandade

By Nancy Oakes and Pamela MazzolaPhotography by Tim Morris

5.0

(1)

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Recipe information

  • Yield

    10 Servings

Ingredients

1

cup dried white heirloom beans (such as marrow beans) or Great Northern beans

1

celery stalk, cut in half crosswise, plus 1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1

carrot, peeled

1

small onion, halved

1

teaspoon coarse kosher salt

8

ounces Dungeness crabmeat, picked over

1

cup (packed) coarsely grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

1

/3 cup mayonnaise

2

tablespoons Dijon mustard

2

tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1

tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2

tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1

/2 cup finely chopped shallots

3

garlic cloves, minced

1

/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4

ounces Crescenza cheese or cream cheese (about 1/2 cup)

4

tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

Toasted baguette slices

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Rinse beans with cold water; place in large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover beans by 2 inches; let soak overnight. Drain. Return beans to same pan. Add enough cold water to cover beans by 3 to 4 inches. Add celery stalk, carrot, and onion. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon coarse salt; let beans cool in cooking liquid. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill in cooking liquid. Before using, drain beans, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

    Step 2

    Lightly butter 1-quart baking dish. Combine crab, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce in medium bowl; chill.

    Step 3

    Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add chopped celery, garlic, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 cup cooking liquid; cook until heated through, mashing beans coarsely, about 2 minutes. Add Crescenza cheese; stir until melted. Fold in crab mixture and 2 tablespoons parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking dish. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill crab brandade uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.

    Step 4

    Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake brandade uncovered until heated through and mixture begins to bubble at edges, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices.

    Step 5

    Crescenza cheese is a soft-ripened cow's-milk cheese traditionally made in Italy. Look for it at your local cheese store, or order it online from bellwethercheese.com or mozzco.com.

Explore Bon AppétitCasseroleFrenchEuropeanCrabShellfishSeafoodWhite BeanBeanVegetableCheddarCheeseCream CheeseEasyOne-Pot MealsMainDinner