BAKED SHRIMP WITH CRABMEAT STUFFING

With crabmeat left over from our last crab party that I froze and thawed, and some big shrimp that caught my eye at the fish market, I made a dinner for two with plenty of leftovers for the next day's big game.  We liked the flavorings in this recipe.  There's just a background suggestion of heat and it's not too salty.  A squeeze of lemon juice is all we added at the table.

Baked Shrimp with Crabmeat Stuffing
Adapted half recipe from food.com
Rating:  9.5 out of 10
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8 oz. crabmeat, shells and cartilege removed
3/4 - 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning (I used 3/4 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter + 1-1/2 Tbsp. melted butter for tops
1/4 cup minced scallions, or onions
2 Tbsp. minced celery
2 Tbsp. minced green or red peppers
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1-1/2 tsp. minced or grated garlic
2 Tbsp. lite mayonnaise
1 egg
1-1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1/3 cup crushed saltines
1/4 tsp. Diamond kosher salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1-1/4 lb. large shrimp (10-15/lb. size), peeled with tails entact, deveined and butterflied.

Heat oven to 375F.  Spray a 9x12 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.  Place crabmeat in a large bowl and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning.  Toss lightly to combine; cover; refrigerate.

In a 10- or 12-inch saute pan or frying pan, heat oil and 1 Tbsp. butter over medium heat.  Add onions, celery and peppers and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in parsley and garlic; cook, stirring, 1 additional minute.  Off heat; cool at least 1/2 hour.  When vegetables are cool, add them to the crabmeat and toss lightly to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, egg, lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauce.  Pour over crab mixture and toss lightly to combine.  Fold in saltines, salt and pepper, mixing lightly but thoroughly.

Mound some crabmeat stuffing over each shrimp, using about 1 Tbsp. for each.  Place shrimp, stuffed sides up, in baking dish.  Drizzle with the 1-1/2 Tbsp. melted butter.  Bake about 20 minutes, or till shrimp is cooked through.  (If you want more browning, just place shrimp under the broiler for a minute or two before serving.)  Yield:  4-5 servings

SHRIMP STUFFED WITH CRABMEAT

Shrimp stuffed with crabmeat is a classic recipe that's been served in restaurants for decades. It's not hard to make, and I wish my photos had turned out better for you to see these. Guy did the cleaning, shucking and deveining and he forgot to leave the tails on. Yes, the tops got a little too brown, almost black, because the broiler unit was maybe too close; but they tasted great. Amazingly, these take almost no time to cook, so you do have to watch them closely once they get in the broiler. And if you have crabmeat left over, make one of the other recipes listed here, or freeze it for future use. (Don't freeze it too long -- a couple of weeks at best, because crab deteriorates in the freezer pretty quickly.)

Shrimp Stuffed with Crabmeat

16 jumbo shrimp, peeled (leave tails on for nice effect)

3 scallions, minced, with part of the green tops

1 stalk celery, minced

2 Tbsp. Smart Balance buttery spread or olive oil

1/2 lb. flaked crabmeat

1/2 cup fresh plain breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp. minced parsley

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. Smart Balance lite mayonnaise

Split shrimp lengthwise from the underside, remove vein, and lay open so a small pocket is formed. Saute' scallions and celery in Smart Balance for about 5 minutes, or till tender. Cool. Add remaining ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
Place about 2 Tbsp. crabmeat stuffing on each shrimp. Squeeze the mixture together with your fingers as you place it in the pocket of the shrimp.
Broil 4-6 minutes or until shrimp turns opaque.