Baked Crab and Shrimp

2 ribs celery

1 medium onion

1 medium green bell pepper

2 large cloves garlic

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Large pinch ground cayenne pepper

Large pinch chili powder

2 teaspoons flour

1 cup fish or shrimp stock (may substitute clam juice)

8 ounces (1 cup) lump crabmeat

12 ounces peeled, deveined large raw shrimp (21-25 count)

2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 bunch scallions

½ cup plain fresh bread crumbs (may substitute plain panko)

½ lemon or lime

Cut the celery and onion into small dice. Stem and seed the green bell pepper, then cut the rest of it into small dice. Mince the garlic; gathering them all together on the cutting board is OK. Melt the butter in a medium (10-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Stir in the celery, onion, garlic and green bell pepper; cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture has softened but not browned. (Adjust the heat as needed.) Sprinkle the pinches of cayenne pepper and chili powder over the mixture, and then the flour; cook for about 1 minute (so the flour loses its raw taste), stirring, until the vegetables are evenly coated.

Gradually pour in the fish or shrimp stock as you continue to stir; increase the heat to medium-high to bring to a boil, stirring all the while. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened into a sauce that pulls cleanly away from the bottom of the skillet when you pull a spatula through. Pick over the crab, discarding any bits of cartilage. Reduce the heat to medium-low; add the crabmeat and shrimp to the skillet, along with the heavy cream (to taste). Stir as you cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp becomes just opaque and the crab is warmed through.

Meanwhile, position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler. Finely chop the white and light-green parts of the scallions, then combine them with the bread crumbs. Scatter this mixture over the contents of the skillet, then transfer the pan to the oven; broil for less than 1 minute, watching closely, just until the crumbs have lightly browned. Squeeze the lemon or lime juice over the top. Serve right away. Serve over rice or with cornbread. If you chop up the shrimp, this could also make a nice hot dip.

Serves 4

Nutrition | Per serving (with 2 tablespoons cream): 310 calories, 32 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 215 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar

Adapted from "Cast-Iron Cooking: Recipes and Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Cast-Iron Cookware," by Rachael Narins (Storey, 2016).