Happy Crab

This simple recipe for crab toast is as rich as anything served in a Continental restaurant during the ‘70s. But it appeared as one of several Requested Recipes--the predecessor to The Times Culinary SOS column--on the Of Interest to Women page in the midst of the Great Depression, on May 1, 1933.

The recipe ran beside a Ralph’s grocery store ad with cartoon character illustrations as well as a notice for a downtown art exhibit of student work. Keeping spirits up during this difficult time seems to have been the theme of the day. The crab toast certainly would have helped.

The orginal original recipe called for sprinkling “sherry flavoring” over the crab toast when done. The dish tastes better, however, when sherry is mixed into the sauce just before serving. And notice the word “flavoring”; Prohibition ended several months after this recipe was published.

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CRAB TOAST

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon flour

1 cup crab meat

1/2 cup milk

1 small stalk of celery, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sherry

Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Add flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Then add crab meat, milk, celery and salt. Simmer and stir until thick but not dry, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in sherry just before serving.

Serve hot on thin slices of buttered toast.

4 servings. Each serving:

71 calories; 431 mg sodium; 27 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0 fiber.