Casquinha de Siri

Method

1. 1
   • olive oil2 tbsp
   • onion1
   • garlic3
   • green bell pepper1
   • fresh chilli1

   Sweat the onion and pepper — Heat the oven to 200°C. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion and green pepper until soft and sweet, about 7 minutes, then add the garlic and chilli and fry for one minute more.

2. 2
   • tomato2

   Cook the tomato down dry — Stir in the chopped tomato and let it cook down for 8 minutes, until it collapses completely and the pan looks jammy rather than watery — any loose liquid now will make the gratin soggy later.

   ⏱8 min
3. 3
   • crab meat400 g
   • coconut milk1½ dl
   • dende oil2 tbsp
   • lime juice2 tbsp
   • salt1 tsp
   • black pepper½ tsp
   • fresh cilantro3 tbsp

   Fold in the crab — Fold in the crab meat, coconut milk and dende oil and cook for 3 minutes, just long enough to warm the crab and bind the sauce. Take the pan off the heat and season with the lime juice, salt, black pepper and cilantro.

4. 4

   Fill the little dishes — Divide the mixture between four small ovenproof dishes or scallop shells, pressing it in lightly so the surface is level and sits a little below the rim.

5. 5
   • breadcrumbs60 g
   • Parmesan30 g
   • butter30 g

   Top with buttered crumbs — Toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and Parmesan until every crumb is evenly damp, then scatter the mixture thickly and loosely over each dish — packed crumbs steam instead of crisping.

6. 6

   Bake until the crust crackles — Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is deep gold all over and the filling bubbles up around the edges of each dish.

   ⏱15 min
7. 7

   Let them settle before serving — Let the dishes settle for 5 minutes before serving. The filling holds a great deal of heat and needs that moment to firm up enough to hold on a fork.

   ⏱5 min