Potted crab is traditionally served with buttered toast. We loved it with toasted slices of Granary-Style bread. Any multigrain bread will be delicious with this potted crab.
You can also substitute cooked and chopped shrimp or lobster for the crab for this appetizer.
You prepare potted crab in small pots and then top it with a layer of melted butter to preserve the mixture and to prevent any air from getting into the dish.
This potted crab is excellent with fresh cooked crab, including both light and dark meat. You can also use good quality lump crab meat.
I have been to Ireland a couple of times. My husband was born in Dublin and emigrated with his parents to the U.S. when he was twelve. We had met a few of the aunts and uncles who visited the U.S. but he had not been back to Ireland at all since his family moved to California. Plus, my kids (at the time, 18 and 21) had no concept of what Ireland was like.
When we finally were able to afford it, we took the kids on a trip to Ireland to meet all of the aunts, great aunts, uncles, and cousins in Dublin and surrounding cities. It was an amazing trip. My kids had so much fun with their cousins running around Dublin (and my 18-year-old loved the legal drinking age).
One of my favorite ways to spend a day in Ireland was to pass some time in the pubs. I have great memories of the friendly people and the comforting food.
With your pint of beer or glass of wine, you can grab an appetizer, bowl of chowder or Irish stew, some bread, or a bit of cake.
Granted, it's been a few years, and things may have changed since our last trip, but I suspect that the pub scene is alive and well.
Either way, this potted crab brings back memories of our trips to visit my husband's Irish family.
How do you make potted crab?
All you need to do is mix the crab with some spices and melted butter, press it into a ramekin, and top it with some melted butter to seal the top.
Serve it with some buttered toast, and you have a delicious appetizer or snack.
Pub food at its best!
Mix together the crabmeat, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Melt the butter and add half of it to the crab mixture.
Pack the mixture into four to six small ramekins.
Pour the rest of the melted butter over the top of each ramekin. Chill the ramekins in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.