Crab & Roasted Tomato Pie

The inspiration for this recipe came from a meal we had in the Outer Banks this summer. We had dinner in a small family owned restaurant and one of the items on the menu was a crab pie. My 8-year-old son, Chase, decided he wanted to try this pie because he loves crab and he loves pie, so he figured he would love crab pie. Did he ever! He ate it so fast and loved it so much that he ordered another piece. The waiter actually stood at the table to watch him eat the second piece because he enjoyed watching Chase enjoy it so much. I have never see him enjoy a meal so much in his short little life, thus I dissected the pie the best I could to figure out how they made it. I came up with a pretty good grain-free, dairy-free version of the recipe. Chase had seconds last night just as he did in the Outer Banks, so I consider the meal a success :).

This dish is definitely more decadent and more involved than most of the recipes I make. I like to make simple meals with simple ingredients that take little time. As you will see, this meal is by far an exception, but worth every second. We paired this dish with a greek salad.

The daily recommendation for protein is 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 3-ounce serving of crab meat supplies 16.45 grams of protein toward these goals. The protein in your body breaks down on a constant basis, and adequate intake of the nutrient is essential for rebuilding your muscles and tissues. Crab is a complete source of protein, which means that it supplies each of the 20 amino acids your body needs to make these new proteins.

Crab is also an impressive source of vitamin B12, of which you need 2.4 micrograms each day. A 3-ounce serving of crab meat supplies 9.78 micrograms. Vitamin B12 enables your body to produce healthy red blood cells. The vitamin also supports normal brain function. Getting sufficient amounts of vitamin B12 can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. (Source)

One important thing to note before preparing this dish is the sodium content in crab. Crab is one of the few foods that are high in sodium in their natural state. In a three-ounce serving, blue crab has more than 200 milligrams of sodium. Dungeness crab has more than 300 milligrams of sodium. And Alaska king crab has a whopping 911 milligrams of sodium. The natural sodium in crabs probably won’t tip the sodium scales too much for healthy people. But in those who are on a sodium-restricted diet, such as people with congestive heart failure, crabs may be off limits due to their sodium content. (Source)

Crab & Roasted Tomato Pie

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Crab & Roasted Tomato Pie

Whole Food. Real Food. Good Food.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced horizontally
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp crushed rosemary
  • 16 oz. lump crab meat
  • 24 fresh basil leaves
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tbsp ghee
  • Himalayan pink salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse for a few seconds.
  2. Add ghee and egg. Blend until a dough is formed.
  3. Press dough into a 9-inch pie dish.
  4. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
  5. Pour the olive oil into a shallow baking dish and add 1 garlic clove, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
  6. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally. Toss the tomatoes with the oil and seasonings, then lay them cut side down in the dish.
  7. Bake for 1.5 hours, or until the tomatoes are completely softened and wilted, and start to wrinkle.
  8. Increase oven temperature to 350°F.
  9. Sauté 4 cloves garlic in 2 tbsp ghee.
  10. Stir in crabmeat until combined with garlic/ghee mixture.
  11. Fill pie crust with crabmeat filling.
  12. Top with tomatoes and basil.
  13. Melt 1 tbsp ghee and drizzle over top of the pie.
  14. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
  15. Enjoy!

Crab & Roasted Tomato Pie

  • 2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced horizontally
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp crushed rosemary
  • 16 oz. lump crab meat
  • 24 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tbsp ghee
  • Himalayan pink salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

For the pie crust:

1. Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse for a few seconds.
2. Add ghee and egg. Blend until a dough is formed.
3. Press dough into a 9-inch pie dish.

almond flour pie crust

For the Roasted Tomatoes:

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
2. Pour the olive oil into a shallow baking dish and add one garlic clove, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
3. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally. Toss the tomatoes with the oil and seasonings, then lay them cut side down in the dish.
4. Bake for 1.5 hours, or until the tomatoes are completely softened and wilted, and start to wrinkle.

oven roasted tomatoes

For the Crab Filling:

1. Increase oven temperature to 350°F.
2. Sauté 4 garlic cloves in 2 tbsp ghee.
3. Stir in crabmeat until combined with garlic/ghee mixture.
4. Fill pie crust with crabmeat filling.
5. Top with tomatoes and basil.
6. Melt 1 tbsp ghee and drizzle over top of the pie.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Crab Pie

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