Description
A delicious and hearty stuffed seafood bread bowl featuring a creamy blend of shrimp, lump crab meat, and aromatic vegetables, baked inside a hollowed sourdough loaf for a perfect party appetizer or main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled and chopped
- ½ pound lump crab meat (picked over for shells)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Bread
- 1 large round sourdough bread loaf
Instructions
- Prepare the bread bowl: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice the top off the sourdough bread and carefully hollow out the inside, leaving about a 1-inch thick shell. Set both the bread bowl and lid aside.
- Cook the vegetables: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, and red bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft and aromatic.
- Add seafood and seasoning: Stir in butter, then add the chopped shrimp. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp turn just pink. Gently fold in the lump crab meat, heavy cream, Old Bay seasoning, cayenne pepper if using, and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Melt cheeses: Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheeses until melted and well combined.
- Fill and bake: Spoon the creamy seafood mixture into the hollowed bread bowl. Place the bread lid back on top and wrap the entire loaf in foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes to crisp the top.
- Garnish and serve: Remove the bread bowl from the oven. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving. Enjoy with the scooped-out bread pieces for dipping or toast them as croutons.
Notes
- You can substitute lump crab meat with imitation crab if desired.
- Serve with the bread pieces you scooped out for a perfect dipping experience or toast them into crunchy croutons.
- Adjust the spice level by adding more or less cayenne pepper according to your preference.
