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Spider Crab Gratin

There are many layers of flavor in this rich, comforting gratin. Shallots, onions, and leeks are cooked very slowly in butter until they melt down to a very tender marmalade, which is then mixed with a thick tomato sauce. All this makes a wonderful backdrop for the crabmeat, which is stirred in, then topped with butter and breadcrumbs and browned under the broiler. Chef Sotelino’s original recipe called for spider crab, which should be used in place of the Dungeness crab when available. Prepare this in a large serving dish or as individual portions, and serve with bread and a salad. Adapted from a recipe by Gabino Sotelino. From Spain and The World Table, The Culinary Institute of America. Serves 8

For the vegetables
½ cup (1 stick) butter
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup small-dice shallots
3 cups small-dice sweet onions
2½ cups small-dice leeks, white parts only
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the tomato confit
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons small-dice shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3½ cups peeled, seeded, and chopped plum tomatoes (about 4lb or 1.8 kg)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the crab
1¼ pounds (565 g) (about 3½ cups) cooked and cleaned
spider crab or Dungeness crabmeat
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons Cognac
½ teaspoon salt
1⁄3 cup plus 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter

1. Prepare the vegetables. Heat the butter and oil over low heat in a small saucepan. Stir in the shallots, onions, leeks, and salt and cook very slowly, stirring frequently at first, then occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft but not browned, 1 to 1½ hours. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Make the tomato confit. Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a small saucepot. Stir in the shallots and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until they reach a thick sauce consistency, about 45 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.

3. Chop the crabmeat coarsely into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces, season with the pepper, and reserve. Stir the tomato sauce into the vegetables, then fold in the crab. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of Cognac, or to taste. Season to taste with the salt.

4. Preheat the broiler. Oil 8 single portion gratin dishes and divide the crab mixture among them. Alternatively, oil a 10- by 10-inch (25 by 25 cm) or 8- by 12-inch (20 by 30 cm) ovenproof dish and spread the crab mixture evenly in it. Top with the breadcrumbs and dot with the butter.

5. Cook under the broiler until the top is golden brown and bubbly, no more than 5 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully so that it does not burn, and serve immediately.