Dungeness Crab and Heirloom Bean Brandade

Ingredients

• •1 cup dried white heirloom beans (such as marrow beans) or Great Northern beans
• •1 stalk celery stalk, cut in half crosswise, plus 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• •1 whole carrot, peeled
• •1 whole small onion, halved
• •1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• •8 ounces Dungeness crabmeat, picked over
• •1 cup (packed) coarsely grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
• •⅓ cup mayonnaise
• •2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• •2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• •1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• •2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• •½ cup finely chopped shallots
• •3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
• •¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• •4 ounces Crescenza cheese or cream cheese (about 1/2 cup)
• •4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
• •1 loaf Toasted baguette slices

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse beans with cold water; place in large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover beans by 2 inches; let soak overnight. Drain. Return beans to same pan. Add enough cold water to cover beans by 3 to 4 inches.

   720 min

2. 2.

   Add celery stalk, carrot, and onion. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon coarse salt; let beans cool in cooking liquid. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill in cooking liquid. Before using, drain beans, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

   60 min

3. 3.

   Lightly butter 1-quart baking dish. Combine crab, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce in medium bowl; chill.

   10 min

4. 4.

   Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add chopped celery, garlic, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 cup cooking liquid; cook until heated through, mashing beans coarsely, about 2 minutes. Add Crescenza cheese; stir until melted. Fold in crab mixture and 2 tablespoons parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking dish. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill crab brandade uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.

   15 min

5. 5.

   Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake brandade uncovered until heated through and mixture begins to bubble at edges, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices.

   30 min

6. 6.

   Crescenza cheese is a soft-ripened cow's-milk cheese traditionally made in Italy. Look for it at your local cheese store, or order it online from bellwethercheese.com or mozzco.com.

7. 7.

   Try a crisp California Chardonnay with the appetizers. We like the Cakebread Cellars 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay ($39). It's bright and fruity, with notes of lemon zest and pear. The Napa Valley winery, which was founded in 1973, is currently run by four members of the Cakebread family.