Serves 8 mains - 16 entrees.
*800 g cooked crab meat
200g butter
200g flour
2 litres of milk
Sea salt
Ground white pepper
Instant Lasagne sheets
Good quality tomato sugo
Grated mozzarella
Tomato paste
ABALONE SAUCE
* Abalone sauce (Sea Prince brand)
1 litre cream
Tomato paste
METHOD SAUCE
Bring cream to boil and simmer to almost sauce consistency. Add abalone to taste and mix.
Whisk in just enough tomato paste to give the sauce a pink blush.
METHOD LASAGNE
· Melt the butter in a sauce pan large enough to take 3 litres comfortably and with a good thick base to prevent the sauce catching. Add flour and cook out the roux. Add the milk whisking to ensure no lumps. Make sure the béchamel is well cooked out and no longer tastes of flour. Season.
· Remove one third of béchamel and stir in a spoon of tomato paste to create a pink blush. Set aside.
· Add crab to the remaining white bechamel. Combine well without breaking down crab too much.
· In a large lasagne dish place enough sugo to just cover the bottom.
· Place down a layer of lasagne sheets
· Add half the crab mix.
· Top with another thin layer sugo spread thinly over crab mix.
· Sprinkle over grated mozzarella.
· Place another layer of pasta sheets. Repeat process with remaining crab mix.
· Finish with pasta sheets then top with pink béchamel.
Bake at 170 to 180 degrees for 50 minutes. Lasagne should bubble during cooking but not colour.
*Refrigerate overnight.
TO SERVE
Cover lasagne and place in preheated oven at 160oc for 45-55 minutes. Bring abalone sauce to a simmer then keep warm.
Cut desired portion sizes and place on serving plate. Pour over Abalone Sauce.
OR
Cut cold Lasagne into desired portion sizes and place each in microwave. Heat until hot through. Transfer to a serving plate and pour over warm Abalone Sauce.
*Notes
This recipe is the original from the 1980’s that made 30 large portions I’ve divided it by 4.
Except for the abalone sauce which I introduced in the 1990’s this is it!
Previously I would make Champagne Crème Reduction, a classic French sauce made in part by reducing white wine and fish stock to a glaze. This is a beautiful sauce however if you are distracted at the crucial moment during the reduction process it will very easily burn.
When I came across the Abalone sauce I was in raptures! Its an Australian made product with no additives, so basically a ready to use umami flavour bomb. It is available in tins at some delis and seafood outlets. A little goes a long way but any leftovers can be frozen.
A note on food safety.
I have to say I don’t really feel 100% comfortable with this being made at home only because of the food safety aspect. This recipe really should be made the day before then chilled overnight otherwise it is soft and won’t hold shape.
This can present a food safety issue as it’s a dense thick product and takes time to chill. I’m uncomfortable with seafood sitting at certain temps for a long time.
When I make this commercially it is placed into a blast chiller, or a large fan forced cold-room to bring the temperature down as quickly as possible. Added to this I used pasteurised crab meat to further ensure food safety. (you can find pasteurised crab meat in tubs at most good seafood outlets)
Final word….
I would never say no to requests for the recipe as even if I explained my food safety concerns, I fear it would look as if I didn’t want to share and after all that’s what recipes are for, sharing.
Enjoy Gillian.
