The signature recipe: Galette de Crabe ‘Le Bec-Fin’

At Le Bec-Fin, Georges Perrier perfected recipes such as this galette de crabe, a French riff on an American crab cake that he developed after a trip to Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Serves 4-5

14 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bunch scallions, sliced into thin rings

3 tablespoons butter, divided

2 whole eggs, cold

2 cups heavy cream, icy cold

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 tablespoon Tabasco

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the sauce:

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ cup chicken stock

1 ½ cups olive oil

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

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Preparing the galettes: Chill the shrimp along with the bowl and blade of the food processor for 30 minutes. Sauté the scallions in 1 tablespoon of butter on medium-high heat until wilted, but not browned, and set aside.

Place shrimp in food processor and puree on high speed for one minute, or until smooth and shiny. Add the eggs, making sure to incorporate all the shrimp from sides of the bowl. Process mixture again for another 2 minutes.

With the machine running, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated, then place mixture in a bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons mustard, Worcestershire, and Tabasco and gently fold in the cooled scallions, salt, and crabmeat.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place four or five well-oiled, 3-inch ring molds on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Fill each mold with the mixture, smoothing off tops with a spoon. Bake crab cakes in their molds for about five minutes, until springy to the touch and holding their shape.

Remove crab cakes from the oven and take them out of their ring molds. In a lightly oiled nonstick pan, crisp cakes until golden brown, 2 minutes on each side.

Preparing the sauce: Combine egg yolk, vinegar, remaining mustard, and chicken stock in a blender for about 30 seconds until smooth. Continue blending as you drizzle in the olive oil, until the sauce is emulsified. Add whole-grain mustard and season with salt and pepper.

Put mixture in a small pot and slowly heat, being mindful not to boil it.

To serve: Place a crab cake or two at the center of the plate, flanked by poached green beans, ladle sauce over the cakes, and serve immediately.