Open Faced Crab Sandwiches
A Solstmas tradition, started by NRL. NRL liked group food projects and this one involved a lot of time spent cracking and cleaning the crab, preparing it for the meal.
- Strong sourdough bread, sliced (San Louis Obispo Wheat, Truckee, something with a lot of sour flavor is the design)
- Crab (dungeness in season, king or similar legs)
- Mayonnaise
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Red chile powder
- Green Onions or Chives
- Mustard greens (a la Erowid)
- Basil (a la Erowid)
Crack and clean all the crab. Most crab will be frozen and may need to be thawed ahead of time. Quick thawing can be achieved by soaking the crab legs in cold water, change the water once every 30-60 minutes. This will still take an hour or three to get the crab to a really good point to crack. Overnight in the fridge is better.
Chop green onions. Grate cheddar cheese. Mince dark greens finely. Mince basil.
Toast the bread slice lightly. Mayo on bread. Small amount of minced dark greens on Mayo (perhaps 1/2-3/4 of the mayonnaise covered?). Crab on Greens. Chopped Green Onions/Chives on Crab. Cheddar cheese on top. Dust lightly with red chile powder.
Bake on 350-400 for a few minutes, until cheese melts. Broil for 1-3 minutes to brown and bubble cheese. Sprinkle with chopped basil before serving.
Eat while the next person makes another set.
Variant
Add: Horseradish on mayonnaise before cooking. Add chopped tomatoes on top with the basil after cooking.
Crabless Crab Sandwich : Replace crab with fresh chopped basil or bitter green.
