Vibrantly colored peppers generously filled with a delicate mixture of crab meat, eggs, fresh breadcrumbs, and finely balanced aromatics. This festive and refined dish offers a beautiful harmony between the tenderness of the peppers and the delicate, subtle flavor of crab, making it an impressive starter or main course that will delight your guests.
⏱️65 min
📊Medium
👥4 servings
🍽️Main
festivequick
Ingredients
4 piècesred and yellow bell peppers
300 gfrozen crab meat
2 pièceseggs
50 gfresh breadcrumbs
2 piècesshallots
20 gfresh parsley
1 piècelemon
100 mlcrème fraîche
60 ggrated Parmesan
3 cuillères à soupeolive oil
1 pincéesalt and pepper
1 cuillère à caféWorcestershire sauce
Instructions
1PREPARE THE PEPPERS: Preheat your oven to 190°C (350°F). Choose peppers with regular shapes and thick walls. Cut them in half lengthwise, passing through the stem so each half retains a small piece of stem for presentation. Gently remove the white seeds inside and white membranes. Arrange the pepper halves in an oiled baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
2MAKE THE FILLING: Remove the crust from the bread and finely crumble the crumbs into a bowl. Gradually pour 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche over the breadcrumbs to soak, then lightly crush with a fork to form a homogeneous and light mixture. Carefully drain the thawed crab meat, pressing gently between your hands to eliminate any excess water that could make the filling watery.
3PREPARE THE AROMATICS: Finely mince the shallots into small regular dice, then chop the fresh parsley into leaves. Zest the lemon to collect the fragrant yellow zest, then squeeze it to extract the fresh juice. These elements will bring natural freshness and gustatory balance to the crab filling, counterbalancing its richness.
4ASSEMBLE THE FILLING: In the bowl containing the breadcrumbs, incorporate the crab meat by gently separating it with a fork to preserve its tender texture. Add the beaten eggs, minced shallots, chopped parsley, lemon zest and fresh juice, 100 ml of crème fraîche, grated Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently but thoroughly, without crushing the crab pieces which should remain distinct.
5STUFF THE PEPPERS: Using a generous spoon or small ladle, fill each pepper half with the crab filling, lightly smoothing the top to create a uniform and appetizing surface. The peppers should be well filled, forming a small dome above the edge. Gently drizzle olive oil over each stuffed pepper and generously sprinkle with grated Parmesan for the final golden crust.
6BAKE AND COOK: Pour a little water at the bottom of the dish to create light steam that will keep the peppers tender and moist. Bake at 190°C for 30 to 35 minutes until the peppers are tender when pierced with a knife blade, and the top is golden and slightly crispy. You can turn on the broiler for a few minutes at the end of cooking for a nice golden color. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving, accompanied by a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a few fresh parsley leaves.