One of the more intriguing items on the menu here at Costas Inn is known as crab imperial.
One of the more intriguing items on the menu here at Costas Inn is known as crab imperial. It may come with a fancy title, but it is actually much easier to make than you might expect. Plus, it is just as tasty as its more well-known cousin, the humble crab cake. If you’ve never had it before, then we can promise you that you’re going to love it!
What Is It Like?
Crab imperial is pretty simple – it’s highly similar to ordinary crab dip. At the same time, it’s also related to crab casseroles and crab gratin. Mayonnaise is used as a binding agent and a unique blend of spices can take them to the next level – might we recommend our very own house blend? Onions, shallots, mustard, and lemon are crucial ingredients as well. Bread crumbs are the finishing touch and they are often the component that determines whether or not a crab cake is gluten-free or not. The same principle applies to the crab imperial as well. For one thing, the bread crumbs are nice and crispy, while you can get away with using less expensive types of crab meat as well.
Quick Tips for Cooking
If you want to try your hand at making it, then you are in luck! We have a few pointers for that exercise as well. Mix all the necessary ingredients together and then sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of everything before putting it in the oven to cook. Then once it’s ready, treat it as a dip by eating with saltines or croutons – even celery or other veggies would be yummy too!
An Example Recipe
By now you’re probably eager to get started on making your own crab imperial. Well, we can’t say that we blame you! For this recipe, you’ll want to use a single pound of special or lump crabmeat that has been picked over to remove all shell fragments. Mayo, dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley, spice mix blend from Costas Inn, shallots, salt, pepper, panko breadcrumbs, and melted unsalted butter are all essential as well. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and take a few minutes to combine everything in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, stir the breadcrumbs and butter together and add a small amount of salt.
Then take the crab mixture and put it into a 1-quart baking or gratin dish. Add the breadcrumbs on top; bake for about twenty minutes until everything is golden brown.
COSTAS INN: YOUR SEAFOOD DESTINATION
Costas Inn has been a Baltimore tradition since 1971. You may recognize our restaurant, which was recently featured on the Food Network with Michael Symon on Burgers, Brew, and ‘Que! We were also voted the 2015 #1 Baltimore Seafood Restaurant by USA Today, as well as #1 Crab Restaurant 2014 in the Baltimore Business Journal. You may have also spotted Costas Inn during one of our 9 appearances on the Today Show or heard one of our many interviews on WJZ TV Channel 13 with Ron Matz and Marty Bass.
You can enjoy our famous crab cakes in-house or order them online for any time eating. We also provide some of the best seafood catering in the Baltimore area! You can also get your fill from Costas even when you’re not in our dining room: follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Tags: Costas Inn, Crab Imperial, menu items
