Description
A delicious and hearty stuffed seafood bread bowl featuring a creamy mix of shrimp, crab meat, and melted cheeses nestled inside a hollowed sourdough loaf, baked to golden perfection and garnished with fresh parsley. Perfect for a main course or a party appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood Mixture
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled and chopped
- ½ pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 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 your oven to 375°F (190°C). Slice the top off the sourdough loaf and carefully hollow out the inside, leaving about a 1-inch thick shell. Set both the bread bowl and the top lid aside for later use.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion, minced garlic, diced celery, and diced red bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables become soft and fragrant.
- Cook Seafood: Stir in the butter until melted, then add the chopped shrimp. Cook for 2–3 minutes, just until the shrimp turn pink. Gently fold in the lump crab meat, ensuring to preserve its texture.
- Add Cream and Seasoning: Pour in the heavy cream and stir in Old Bay seasoning, cayenne pepper (if using), and salt and black pepper to taste. Continue cooking and stirring the mixture for another 2 minutes to blend all flavors.
- Melt Cheese into Mixture: Remove the skillet from heat and immediately stir in the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheeses until fully melted and combined, creating a creamy seafood filling.
- Assemble Bread Bowl: Spoon the warm seafood mixture carefully into the hollowed bread bowl. Place the top lid back onto the loaf and wrap the entire bread bowl loosely in aluminum foil.
- Bake: Place the wrapped bread bowl on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes to heat through. Then, remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to crisp up the top crust.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the bread bowl from the oven, unwrap, and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately, offering the scooped-out bread pieces for dipping or toasted as croutons on the side.
Notes
- Imitation crab can be used as a budget-friendly substitute for lump crab meat.
- Serve the scooped-out bread pieces alongside as dippers or toast them to make crunchy croutons.
- Adjust the spice level by varying the amount of cayenne pepper to suit your taste.
