Caribbean-Style Crab Soufflé

Ingredients

• ½ cup sweetened, flaked coconut
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 4 egg yolks
• ½ pound crabmeat
• 6 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• ¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Step 1

Warm your oven to 400°F (200°C) and butter an 8-cup soufflé dish to keep things from sticking. While the oven warms up, toast the coconut in a non-stick skillet over low heat until it’s lightly golden and fragrant—keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Step 2

Melt the butter in a medium pan over low heat. Add the celery, garlic, curry powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Let everything cook gently for about 3 minutes to soften the veggies and bring out the spices. Then stir in the flour and cook for another minute, mixing until smooth. Slowly pour in the milk, bump up the heat to medium, and keep stirring until the sauce thickens and just starts to boil. Take it off the heat and let it cool for a bit.

Step 3

Once the sauce isn’t too hot, whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. Then fold in the toasted coconut and crab meat. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until they form stiff peaks, but don’t overbeat or they’ll get dry. Gently fold about a quarter of the egg whites into the crab mixture to lighten it, then carefully fold in the rest without knocking out the air.

Step 4

Pour the mixture into your prepared soufflé dish and set it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake for around 30 minutes, until the top is golden and puffed up but the inside still feels moist. Serve right away to enjoy it at its best!