Crab It Up

Here are some last-minute suggestions for a New Year’s Eve menu. Begin with a Champagne cocktail. It’s an old-fashioned drink but a fine one, with a slight bite that whets the appetite. Serve additional Champagne, unmixed, with the meal.

Then, for an incredibly rich entree, prepare crab pot pie. The crab meat is bound with butter and half and half, studded with corn and diced sweet red pepper, then topped with biscuits. Although the recipe is lengthy, it’s easy to make.

A simple salad of lettuce tossed with arugula, Belgian endive or radicchio for bite, and a vinaigrette dressing can follow the crab pot pie.

Give a little thought to the dessert. It doesn’t have to be homemade, but it should be something you really crave. If this were the last sweet, fattening thing you’d eat before facing your New Year’s shape-up, what would it be? A chocolate truffle, split for two, or a jar of hot fudge sauce with two spoons and a bowl of whipped cream on the side?

CRAB POT PIE

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 ear corn or 1/2 cup canned or frozen thawed corn

1 small sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 to 1 cup half and half

1 tablespoon dry Sherry

1/2 pound crab meat, drained

Biscuit Dough

Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. If using fresh corn, husk. With sharp knife at 45-degree angle, slice kernels off corn. Add corn and sweet red pepper to skillet. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in flour, salt, white pepper, paprika and coriander. Cook over low heat 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup half and half. Stir constantly until mixture is very thick but smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup additional half and half and Sherry. Cook over low heat 5 minutes. Stir in crab meat and cook over low heat until warm, about 5 minutes. Mixture should be as thick as cake batter. If it is thick as paste, stir in remaining 1/4 cup half and half.

Spoon mixture into greased 1-quart glass casserole and set aside. Prepare Biscuit Dough. Drop by heaping tablespoon on top of crab mixture in ring near edge of casserole to form 5 or 6 biscuits.

Bake at 350 degrees until biscuits are golden and mixture is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 2 generous servings.

Note : Buy either fresh or frozen crab. If using fresh crab, check for bits of shell and discard. If using frozen crab, thaw and drain well.

Biscuit Dough

1/2 cup flour

Dash salt

Dash sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons butter, cut into slivers

5 tablespoons half and half

Combine flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in bowl. Cut in butter, using 2 knives or pastry blender, until mixture is crumbly. Stir in half and half, mixing briefly until mixture is wet dough. Do not overmix.

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

1 teaspoon simple syrup

Dash bitters

1 cup Brut Champagne, well chilled

Stir together simple syrup and bitters in small cup. Divide between 2 fluted Champagne glasses. Pour in Champagne. Stir once. If desired, add more bitters to taste, dash at time. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Note : For simple syrup, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon water in small pan. Simmer until sugar dissolves. Cool. Unused portion can be kept in refrigerator several days. Makes 2 tablespoons.