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Crab Imperial

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main courses•american•pescatarian, contains shellfish, contains eggs
35 minutes•4 servings•

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces lump crabmeat – picked over for shells, drained
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp dry sherry
  • 2 tbsp jarred pimentos – finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika – for topping
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter – cut into small pieces, for topping
  • parsley – chopped (for serving)
  • lemon wedges – for serving
Crab imperial

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange 4 shallow ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.

  2. 2.

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, egg yolk, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice until smooth. Whisk in the dry sherry, salt, and black pepper.

  3. 3.

    Stir the chopped pimentos into the sauce.

  4. 4.

    Add the lump crabmeat and gently fold with a spatula just until coated, keeping the lumps as intact as possible.

  5. 5.

    Spoon the mixture evenly into the ramekins, mounding slightly. Dust the tops evenly with paprika and dot with the pieces of butter.

  6. 6.

    Bake until the tops are lightly browned, the sauce is bubbling at the edges, and the centers are just set, 15–20 minutes (an instant-read thermometer in the center should read about 150–160°F).

  7. 7.

    Let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Crab imperial is a Chesapeake Bay classic that showcases the sweet, delicate flavor of blue crab in a rich, tangy, mayonnaise-based imperial sauce. The mixture is gently mounded into shallow dishes or natural crab shells and baked just until set, with a light bronzing on top. The result is luxurious yet clean-tasting: creamy and savory with bright lemon, soft spice, and tender, intact crab lumps.

The dish traces to early 20th‑century mid‑Atlantic hotel and supper-club cooking, especially in Maryland and around Baltimore. Its name nods to the elegant “imperial” style of enriched, oven-finished sauces popular at the time. Variations have long included touches like dry sherry, pimentos, and a dusting of paprika, and it remains a staple in Maryland seafood houses and Eastern Shore gatherings as both an entrée and a special-occasion appetizer.