Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Hot Vocado - Crab Stuffed Avocado

Oh avocado, thou art unctuously delicious and nutritious.

Surprisingly good for you, regardless of the 30 grams of fat contained within the bumpy dark skin, the avocado is a wonder fruit.  This is due to the fact that they are so high in Oleic acid which not only increases your HDL cholesterol, but lowers your less than savory LDL levels as well.  This mono-unsaturated fat can also help to regulate triglycerides (that's free fat in the blood) and can assist in controlling diabetes. 

All this and over 25% more potassium than that yellowest of tropical herbs, the banana.  And, as if that wasn't enough, the blessed avocado is high in fiber and multiple B vitamins like Folate and Pyridoxine.  If you are normally a "meat and potatoes" kind of person, then Pyridoxine is your friend for it is used by your body to break down proteins, not to mention boosting your immune system and fostering proper nerve function.

But enough about the nutritional wonder that is the avocado.  It all boils down the the fact that you should eat them because they are tasty.  Not just as the main ingredient to guacamole or "California Cuisine".  Try it on your morning bagel instead of butter or cream cheese schmear.   Trust me, Lox with Avocado is a revelation.

You can even bake them... I know it sounds little strange at first, as most avocado applications are of the raw variety, but it's shockingly scrumptious.  Of course anything that contains Béchamel, Chipotle and Crab, can't possibly be ALL bad... Right?

Hot Vocado

Printable Recipe
1 TB (16g) Unsalted Butter
2 TB (16g) AP Flour
Pinch of Cayenne
3/4 cup (200ml) Whole Milk
1 tsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 tsp Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Chipotle Tobasco
7 oz (198 g) Canned or Frozen Crab Meat
2 large Haas Avocados

Melt Butter in a small sauce pan and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix Flour with a pinch of Cayenne pepper.

When Butter is melted and foaming subsides, add the Flour/Cayenne mixture and whisk until bubbly, making a roux.

Whisk warm Milk into the roux and continue cooking until the mixture (now a Béchamel) becomes thick.

Remove the Béchamel from the flame and add Parmigiano-Reggiano, Tomato Paste, and Chipotle Tobasco; whisking to combine.

Fold in the Crab meat.

Slice the Avocados in half and remove the pit.

Scoop out a little bit of the flesh to make the depression a little bigger. (A little sustenance for the cook, cause this is hard work)  ;)

Spoon the crab mixture into the avocado.

Place in an oven proof bowl.

Bake until the top begins to brown slightly, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Mangia!!
~~

1 comment:

Patti T. said...

I love avacados and crab but would never have come up with this. You are so darned clever. This sounds delish!