Endive Leaves With Crab Rillettes

Name: Endive Leaves With Crab Rillettes
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 8 ounces lump crabmeat; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons crème fraîche (or omit and use 4 tablespoons yogurt); 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (to taste); 1 to 2 tablespoons minced chives (to taste); 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint (to taste); 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped; Salt to taste; 4 endives

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 4(92)
Notes: Read community notes

Canned lump crabmeat is transformed in these light, slightly spicy rillettes. I have been pleased with the canned lump crabmeat I have been finding lately at Trader Joe’s. It is fresh and perfect for both crab cakes and for these light, slightly spicy rillettes, which I serve on endive leaves. You can also stuff cherry tomatoes with the rillettes, or mini bell peppers, or just serve them on croutons or crackers. You have a choice here of using a combination of Greek yogurt and crème fraîche, or all Greek yogurt. In the spirit of rillettes, which would be much fattier than these if they were more authentic, I vote for the yogurt/crème fraîche combo, but if you want to keep calories down use all yogurt.

Featured in: Smoked Sardines Rillettes

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 6 to 8

8ounces lump crabmeat
2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
2tablespoons crème fraîche (or omit and use 4 tablespoons yogurt)
1 to 2tablespoons fresh lime juice (to taste)
1 to 2tablespoons minced chives (to taste)
1 to 2tablespoons finely chopped mint (to taste)
1serrano pepper, finely chopped
Salt to taste
4endives

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Drain crabmeat and place in a medium bowl. Mash with a fork. Add olive oil, yogurt and crème fraîche and mash together until mixture is spreadable. Add lime juice, chives, mint and chile and work in. Season to taste with salt. You should have about 1⅓ cups.
Step 2
Break off endive leaves at the base. The easiest way to do this is to cut base away, break off a round of leaves, then keep slicing away the base so that the leaves will easily break off at the bottom. Spoon crab rillettes onto leaves and arrange on a platter. Serve at once, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tip

Advance preparation: You can make the rillettes a day ahead and refrigerate.

Ratings

4 out of 5

92 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

LindaL4 years ago

Quite good, but even with good quality crabmeat, I felt the flavor of the crab was overwhelmed by the sauce. Maybe lemon instead of lime and less volume of sauce next time.

Mattie4 months ago

I liked the recipe overall, but I would definitely cut back on the mint a little - it was kind of overpowering.

Mattie6 months ago

Tasty, the endive probably could have just been baby romaines. Swapped fake crab in and it was tasty. I would leave out at least half the mint

kuws10 months ago

I've made this several times over the past couple of years, initially as a healthy crab alternative that accommodates a friend's dietary restrictions, but it stands on its own. I use only yogurt and skip the mint. Gets rave reviews every time we serve it.

Lisa T1 year ago

I made this as per the recipe. It wasn’t bad but I found it watery and bland and a waste of some very nice crab. I would not make it again.

KCWS3 years ago

I used 12 oz crab with the recipe. Endive was too bitter so we ate in a bowl with crackers. 12 oz served 4 appetizer servings.

Mary3 years ago

Based on the comments, I used 3T creme fraiche and 1T Greek yougurt to tone down the sauce. And sprinkled a little cayenne pepper on top, just because. (You take take the girl out of New Orleans but...)

LindaL4 years ago

Quite good, but even with good quality crabmeat, I felt the flavor of the crab was overwhelmed by the sauce. Maybe lemon instead of lime and less volume of sauce next time.

Martha4 years ago

Yes. As a life-long Pacific Northwesterner, I find the great treat of Dungeness crab is it's delicate, sweet flavor. I found the sauce in this recipe too dominant as well. Perhaps a lightly pre-poached white fish like sword fish, cod, tilapia or even halibut - would hold up better to the sauce. Guessing squid, shrimp or prawns could work well too. Or a completely "blank" protein like tofu?

Kate5 years ago

This recipe isn't vegetarian, it has crab. It shouldn't be tagged as vegetarian.

CDShoe5 years ago

Instead of yogurt I substitute creme fraiche which tastes delicious. I make this appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner and our guests gobble it up. It’s a light excellent seafood beginning to an otherwise over-the-top meal! And it’s easy to pull together when you are totally cooked out!

Jeff6 years ago

Push the lime to the high end of the suggested amount. More = better!

Also, we tried serving this with sliced avocado and, when we ran out of endives (I only had two), we substituted Boston bib lettuce. Both were well received. Delicious!

LCRI Cook6 years ago

This is looking pretty good as I wait for dinner. I doubled the recipe using minced scallions and Sunny Caribe yellow hot sauce in lieu of chives and the serrano pepper. Initially it seemed too wet but all is being well absorbed by the crab. Do not panic as I did by adding yet more crab!

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