Crab and avocado choux puffs recipe
Profiteroles might typically be filled with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate, but this tasty twist on the classic, show-stopping dessert opens up a whole new world of savoury possibilities.
This tasty avocado and crab canapé recipe, created by cookery school Ferrandi Paris, features puffed-up choux buns piped full of salty-sweet crab and creamy avocado, each crowned with a crispy, crackly layer of Parmesan cheese. It makes 10 canapés, so it's the perfect finger food before a meal or at a party.
It's one of many modern takes on French classics found in the institution's latest (and very beautiful) cookbook, Charcuterie: Pâtés, Terrines, Savory Pies.
Please note: This recipe calls for piment d’Espelette, a French pepper variety. If you can't find this ingredient, paprika makes a good substitute.
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
- 70 g butter, softened
- 80 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 40 g plain flour
- 2.5 oz butter, softened
- 2.8 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1.4 oz plain flour
- 2.5 oz butter, softened
- 2.8 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1.4 oz all-purpose flour
- 125 ml water
- 60 g butter, diced
- 0.5 tsp sugar
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 40 g plain flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 4.4 fl oz water
- 2.1 oz butter, diced
- 0.5 tsp sugar
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1.4 oz plain flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 0.5 cup water
- 2.1 oz butter, diced
- 0.5 tsp sugar
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1.4 oz all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 100 g plain flour
- 60 g butter, diced
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp activated charcoal powder
- 3.5 oz plain flour
- 2.1 oz butter, diced
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp activated charcoal powder
- 3.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 2.1 oz butter, diced
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp activated charcoal powder
- 4 avocados
- 0.5 lime, juiced and zested
- 200 ml double cream
- 200 g crab meat, finely flaked
- 1 pinch piment d’Espelette (or paprika)
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
- 4 avocados
- 0.5 lime, juiced and zested
- 7 fl oz double cream
- 7.1 oz crab meat, finely flaked
- 1 pinch piment d’Espelette (or paprika)
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
- 4 avocados
- 0.5 lime, juiced and zested
- 0.8 cup heavy cream
- 7.1 oz crab meat, finely flaked
- 1 pinch piment d’Espelette (or paprika)
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
- 1 grapefruit
- 3 small shallots
- 100 g daikon radish
- 100 g crab meat, flaked
- 10 avocado 'marbles' (see steps below)
- 10 white garlic flowers
- 1 handful coriander and red-veined sorrel leaves
- 1 grapefruit
- 3 small shallots
- 3.5 oz daikon radish
- 3.5 oz crab meat, flaked
- 10 avocado 'marbles' (see steps below)
- 10 white garlic flowers
- 1 handful coriander and red-veined sorrel leaves
- 1 grapefruit
- 3 small shallots
- 3.5 oz daikon radish
- 3.5 oz crab meat, flaked
- 10 avocado 'marbles' (see steps below)
- 10 white garlic flowers
- 1 handful cilantro and red-veined sorrel leaves
Details
- Cuisine: French
- Recipe Type: Canapé
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 45 mins
- Cooking Time: 30 mins
- Serves: 5
Step-by-step
For the Parmesan craquelin
- Mix the butter, Parmesan and flour together in a bowl to make a smooth dough.
- Roll out very thinly between 2 sheets of parchment paper and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Cut out 10 discs using an 8 cm (3 in) round cookie cutter.
For the choux puffs
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/340°F/gas mark 3 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat the water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan until the butter melts.
- Bring to a fast boil, remove from the heat, and add all the flour at once. Beat vigorously with a spatula until smooth. Return the saucepan to a low heat and stir constantly for two minutes to dry out the mixture.
- Let cool, then gradually beat in the eggs until smooth and glossy.
- Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe 8 cm (3 in) mounds onto the baking sheet, using up all the pastry – you should have enough for 10.
- Place a Parmesan disc on each one and bake for 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Let cool completely on a rack before filling.
For the charcoal shortbread discs
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/340°F/gas mark 3 and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Using a stand mixer, or by hand, beat all the ingredients until they come together into a dough.
- Roll out thinly between two sheets of parchment paper and chill for 30 minutes.
- Cut out 10 discs using a 5 cm (2 in) round cookie cutter, place on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
For the crab and avocado purée
- Peel and halve the avocados and remove the pits. Using a melon baller, scoop out 10 avocado 'marbles' for garnish.
- Scoop the remaining flesh into a food processor, add the lime juice and process to a purée.
- Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cream using a spatula. Stir in the crab flakes, piment d’Espelette (or paprika), lime zest and a little salt.
- Adjust the seasonings as needed and transfer to a second pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
To serve
- Peel and segment the grapefruit and thinly slice the onions crosswise.
- Julienne the daikon radish by cutting it into long, thin, matchstick-shaped pieces.
- Pierce holes in the base of each choux puff and pipe in the crab and avocado purée.
- Place upside-down (with the hole facing upward) on serving plates. Affix the charcoal discs on top with a little of the purée.
- Garnish each puff with the flaked crab meat, an avocado marble, a grapefruit segment, a shallot slice, and some daikon radish, garlic flowers, coriander (cilantro), and red-veined sorrel leaves.
Recipe adapted from Charcuterie: Pâtés, Terrines, Savory Pies by Ferrandi Paris (Flammarion, 2023). Photography by Rina Nurra.
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