Crab Toast
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- ½cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 2tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- ½cup grapeseed oil
- 12ounces crab meat
- 4teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2teaspoons finely minced chives
- 1teaspoon crème fraîche, sour cream, heavy cream or half-and-half
- 4 to 6slices pane Francese, black pumpernickel or other rustic bread, toasted on both sides
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
684 calories; 59 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 22 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 671 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In a small sauce pot, brown the butter over medium heat, swirling the pot, until the butter is caramel-colored and has a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, scraping up all the milk solids from the bottom and sides of the pot while the butter is still hot, and let cool to room temperature.
- Step 2
Place the egg and egg yolk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a healthy pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon cold water in the bowl of a food processor. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil. Once all the oil has been added, the mayonnaise should be loose yet emulsified. While the processor is still running, slowly drizzle in the brown butter and any toasted milk solids. Season to taste with salt and set aside.
- Step 3
For the crab salad, gently and quickly mix crab meat, olive oil, chives, crème fraîche and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt.
- Step 4
Schmear each piece of toasted bread with the brown butter mayonnaise evenly — as we like to say, “wall to wall.” Divide the crab mixture among the slices, piling it evenly on top.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Ryan
This recipe should have ended thus: "Divide the crab mixture among the slices, piling it evenly on top. AND EAT IT ALL YOURSELF SHARING WITH NO ONE!"
Alexa Weibel, Senior Staff Editor, NYT Cooking
This brown butter mayonnaise is the very best thing I have eaten all quarantine — and I'll love it forevermore.
Paggy
Can you use olive oil instead of grapeseed oil for the mayo?
Lenna
This was amazingly delicious. I did not understand what the brown butter does to the mayo but now I understand. It adds a whole new interesting nutty lemony flavor. We were very lazy and used Hellman’s Mayo (so embarrassing) and mixed it with the brown butter. And nonetheless this was the most delicious thing I’ve had in some time.
Reuel
Do your best. If sardines will do, then, frozen vacuum sealed crab will work too. It's the thought that counts.
Susan
Sounds and looks delish!! Two questions from a land-locked mid-westerner. 1. Did you start out with cooked crab? If not, how did you cook? If not canned, where would you find this? 2. Any concern about consuming raw egg?
bill
In the time before food processors there were Whisks.
bertina
I may not eat anything else ever in my life. This dish was an extravagant splurge, but brought glowy sunshine when everyhing else seems so bleak. I used Bread Alone’s French sourdough and will use the leftover brown butter mayo (not that there is much left) on steamed asparagus this week. Crazy!
Jane
It is a pleasure to learn that Gabrielle is still sharing her recipes. These will have to suffice until she finds a way to reopen Prune! We need, New York needs, good tables like hers.
Cosette
Of course this is good. It's from Gabriella Hamilton, one of the world's greatest chefs and also a wonderful writer. She has just closed Prune, one of NYC's most beloved restaurants. Like many NYers, I have a long, joyous history with Prune. Hearing of its closing hits hard, in part, because it's a stand-in for all covid is taking from us. Yes, we'll get thru this. But a world w/o Prune will be far less delicious. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/magazine/closing-prune-restaurant-covid
Ashley
I twice struggled to get my mayo to emulsify. First tried my food processor and then my immersion blender and it never came together, which is weird because I make homemade mayo when I’m doing a whole30 with no problem. So I added the browned butter to store bought mayo and it was still delicious! This was one of the best things I’ve eaten durning quarantine and made m thankful to be single so I didn’t have to share! I had the leftovers for brunch Saturday morning, still wonderful.
Hanna K
This was the best thing I’ve eaten all quarantine and in recent memory. After weeks of feeling like my tastebuds were dulled by loneliness and madness, I was alive again and transported to the seaside.
Martha P
Absolutely delicious and so simple to make! I was in a beach house rental with no food processor, so I simply mixed the brown butter with a 1/2 cup of store bought mayo, lemon juice and salt, and it firmed up fine...delish!
Debnev
The crab salad is only as good as the crab you buy (note to self for next time: either spend the big bucks or don't bother). Also, I spread fresh avocado on the toast and topped it with the crab. I totally recommend doing this. So, now let's talk about the mayo! My five stars are for the mayo alone. Mine came out perfectly, and oh my, what a revelation!
Logan
Absolutely unreal. Impossibly good. I’m dunking crusts in the brown butter mayo while I wait for more bread to toast.
Lauren
Amazing and easy appetizer. Used toasted country bread slices, crème fraîche and dungeness crab meat. Also followed some of the advice below and just mixed brown butter into store bought mayo and it was perfect. Just be careful not to plate too early or else it will get soggy.
deidre
This brown butter mayo is so amazing. I actually planned on making this exactly as written but ended up having guests who don’t like/eat seafood (imagine!) so I regrouped and made a cavatappi pasta salad with the special mayo adding peas, sliced radishes, green onion and sliced, blanched asparagus. Lots of pepper and sea salt and a sprinkling of fresh tarragon. If we have leftovers, I’ll add the jumbo lump crab meat just for us. Can’t wait to try this recipe exactly as written.
Connie
This was outstanding. Cheated a bit and mixed the brown butter with good store-bought mayo, then topped with a delicate crab mixture and a boop of caviar. Lovely treat with a glass of champagne!
Carly
Made as written, but on homemade sourdough. As stated in the description, this recipe is the perfect marriage of the brown butter mayonnaise and the fresh, delicately seasoned crab. Topped with more fresh chives and a small squeeze of a lemon wedge. Made for company and everyone loved it. Simple and delicious, with great leftovers. Brown butter mayonnaise is the SHIZZ.
JKS
Add some of the brown butter mayo to the crab mixture-DIVINE!!!
Grace
My new fave crab recipe! Think crab roll where the flavor of the crab shines. My mayo stayed quite loose, remaining more like a sauce, but helped to keep toast intact under its weight of delicious crab. I used rustic baguette slices to divvy up the joy among my guests.
Judi
Used avocado oil in mayo. Butter went from caramel to dark in an instant so left out some solids. Added the extra teaspoon lemon juice to eggs so mayo was a tad thin. Dungeness crab leftover from feast of five fishes on Xmas eve, homemade sourdough sliced super thin - Boxing Day treat!
Jude
I cheated. Added brown butter to already made quality mayo (used kewpie). So delicious and simple. To make sublimeA serve the toast on watercress soup: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/5767-watercress-soup (add watercress gradually to boiling water; otherwise watercress will get bitter. added half yogurt half cream).
Donna.
I used only1/4 cup butter and the bbmayo was delicious and plenty rich. Also used avocado like others suggested. Fantastic! Yumo!!!
Tripletree
I have made this three times in the last month -- it is perfect. Perfectly delicious. Dungeness crab is fortunately available in my local area. I don't change a thing, and like Ryan, I kind of hoard it all for myself.
Linda
I skipped making the mayo and simply stuffed the crab salad in a roll and drizzled browned butter on top. Delicious.
Carol
This was good, not great. Maybe it was the brand of canned crab I used. Maybe it would have been better with "fresh" crab. The brown butter mayo was very good however. It was not very thick after I finished with it and I have no idea why as I only make homemade mayo. I added another yolk. Would love to hear if this was normal with this mayo recipe.
Arianthé
Absolutely Fabulous!
Danielle
Would extra virgin oo work for this?
Greg
Made this this morning with a pound of canned crab claw meat. Amazing. We had some crab and brown butter mayo left over, so we put the crab into a halved avocado and spooned some of the mayo over it. Also amazing! And the remaining mayo will go over some filets and sea scallops for dinner.
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