Cajun Kissin’ Cousins Crab/Shrimp Appetizers (Prep. time about 1 hour. Makes 12)

¼ lb. peeled shrimp

2 Tb. diced onion

1 Tb. olive oil

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (*you can substitute prepared phyllo cups for the puff pastry and skip the muffin tins altogether)

4 oz. (1/2 C.) "Special" crab meat

½ slice white bread, finely diced

¼ tsp. celery seed

1 Tb. Old Bay Seasoning (or more to taste)

1  tsp. Tabasco sauce (or more to taste)

2 Tb. parsley flakes or fresh parsley, finely diced

salt/ black pepper

¼ C. mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 375.  Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a sauté pan.  Add the onions and cook the shrimp until it just starts to turn to turn pink. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the shrimp to cool.  Cut shrimp into 1/3 inch chunks (about three segments per shrimp).  Remove the shrimp and onions from the pan into a small mixing bowl, leaving as much of the oil behind as you can and set aside.  Roll the thawed puff pastry slightly thicker than ¼ inch and cut into 12 pieces.  Press the pastry into mini muffin tins, or mini muffin cups. ( I did both, lining the muffin tin sections with the aluminum muffin cups.)  Add the crab to the shrimp and gently stir in the remaining ingredients.  While the Special grade of crab isn’t as large as jumbo lump, you still don’t want to break it apart any more. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cups.  Fold any overhanging corners of puff pastry in. Bake about 15-20 minutes until the seafood and the puff pastry are golden brown, starting the pan on the lower rack and moving to the top rack, rotating ½ turn.  Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Thanks to Down to Earth Whole Foods on Grant Ave., Endicott for sponsoring Foodie Fridays.  See them not only for ideas for your holiday parties, especially if you have guests with food sensitivities, but also for suggestions for gifts for family and friends that are Earth-friendly!

 

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