There's a pleasant surprise hiding inside each of these rolls: a large mushroom cap in the bottom cradles the savory crab stuffing. Tender swai (a type of Asian catfish) surrounds it all and holds in the juices for a marvelously rich-tasting entree that's actually quite low in fat.
Perfect for a dinner party, special occasion, holiday meal, or for any dinner that you want to be special.
You can use any large white fillet for this recipe.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup very finely crushed flavored snack crackers (I used Garlic Parmesan; see Cook's Notes)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped scallions (green and white parts)
- 2 tsps finely chopped parsley
- 2 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups crab meat (see Cook's Notes)
- 8 large white or Baby Bella mushroom caps (about 1 1/2" to 1 3/4" across), stems removed
- 4 7-8 oz swai or large catfish fillets
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, celery, scallions, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix in the eggs, then gently fold in the crabmeat.
Cut each fillet lengthwise into two approximately equal strips. Place upturned mushroom caps on a flat surface. Wrap a fillet strip around the outside. Secure the strips to the mushroom caps with short skewers or toothpicks.
Distribute the filling evenly between the crowns and carefully place them in a buttered baking dish (a thin-bladed spatula or turner is good for this.) Drizzle with the melted butter.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until fish thoroughly cooked. Makes 4 servings of Crabmeat and Mushroom Catfish Crowns.
Cook's Notes:- You can use your favorite flavored cracker for this (Garden Vegetable or Onion are especially good.) A food processor is perfect for making crumbs. Depending on size, it will take about 20-30 crackers to equal 1/2 cup of fine crumbs.
- Because this is a crab stuffing, you can use the more economical grades of crabmeat, such as Backfin, Special, or even Claw. For more info, see the Quickie Guide to Canned Crab Meat Grades.