Ingredients
One loaf of long French bread
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1-1/4 cups of milk, heated
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
2 slices of Swiss cheese
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened at room temp
8 ounces crabmeat, well drained
8 ounces cooked small salad shrimp
1 tablespoon of parsley, chopped
6 ounces of pepper jack cheese, grated
1 green onion, chopped, for garnish, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Split the French bread in half lengthwise. Set aside. Drain the crabmeat and shrimp; set aside. Warm the milk in the microwave for about 1 minute and set it aside. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet. Stir in the flour until well blended and continue cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes.
Begin to incorporate the warm milk into the flour mixture a little at a time, until all of it is incorporated, vigorously whisking to prevent lumps from forming. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until mixture is thick and creamy. Add the salt, pepper, Parmesan and Swiss cheeses; stir well until cheeses are melted.
Beat the egg yolk in separate small bowl; remove a tablespoon of sauce from the skillet and add to the beaten egg, immediately stirring them together until well blended. Add that mixture back into the sauce and add the last 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook and stir on low for 1 minute; remove from the heat, add the parsley and gently fold in the crabmeat and shrimp. Can also add the green onion here if you prefer rather than using it as a garnish.
Place two sheets of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Spread the crab and shrimp mixture evenly on both sides of the bread and place each on a piece of the aluminum foil, cupping the foil up around the bread. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes until bread is warmed through. Remove the bread and fold down the aluminum foil to expose the bread. Sprinkle the top with the pepper jack cheese and return to the oven for an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is crisp.
Remove and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onion if desired, cut each half into serving slices, and arrange on a platter.
Cook’s Notes: May substitute 4 ounce cans of shrimp and crab, well drained. Also works well with a variety of other breads.
