Rich and creamy seafood gratins had their heyday in the '60s and '70s. One best-loved example was the crabmeat au gratin from The Berghoff restaurant in Chicago. "The recipe was developed by one of our former chefs, who was Swiss," said Jan Berghoff, former owner of the historic restaurant that her daughter Carlyn now runs as the Berghoff Cafe. Served only on Fridays, the dish was popular from the 1950s through the mid-1970s when increases in crabmeat prices and changes in diners' eating habits made it prudent to remove it from the menu.
 | Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 1/3 cup flour 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup dessert wine, such as Sauternes or sherry 1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese 1 pound crabmeat Grated Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs Instructions Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt ¼ cup of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat; slowly stir in flour. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Stir in cream, salt and mustard. Cook, stirring, until thick, 4 minutes. Set aside. Melt remaining ¼ cup of the butter in a large skillet; add mushrooms and onions. Cook until mushrooms are browned, 3 minutes. Stir in wine; cook to reduce by half, 3 minutes. Stir in parsley. Combine this mixture with the cream sauce. Stir a small amount of cream sauce into the egg yolks in a small bowl; stir egg yolks into remaining cream sauce. Cook 5 minutes; let cool. Stir in Cheddar cheese and crabmeat. Divide mixture among buttered small ramekins. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs to taste. Bake until beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. |