Creamy crab and shrimp spread onto a crispy ciabatta topped with smoked tomatoes provides the right balance of flavors and textures. The crab and shrimp bruschetta is absolutely delicious and easy to make.
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Can you prepare crab and shrimp bruschetta the night before?
You sure can prepare this dish the night before, especially if you’re going to take it to an event. You’ll want to prepare the crab and shrimp mixture and place it in the fridge. The bread should still be toasted the day of if you’d like your bread warm.
What is Bruschetta?
An Italian antipasti also known as an appetizer, the bruschetta (pronounced brew-SKET-tah) all starts with the base of a grilled or toasted piece of bread. The bread needs to be sturdy in order to hold the toppings which is typically tomatoes and basil. One to two bites and this antipasti is gone!
What is the best bread for Bruschetta?
If you’re going the Italian route go with ciabatta. If you’re going the French route go with a baguette. The key to the bread is to have a firm base as it will hold the Bruschetta toppings. You can even use sour dough.
Ingredients
The key to Brushetta is having fresh ingredients.
- Lump Crab
- Cook Shrimp
- Mayonnaise
- Lemon Juice
- Fine Sea Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Olive Oil
- Ciabatta
- Black Pepper
- Grape Tomatoes
- Alfalfa Sprouts
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Prep: In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Fold in the crab and shrimp. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the ciabatta rolls lengthwise. Brush the bread with olive oil. In a pan place tomatoes.
- Cook: Place the bread brushed with olive oil in the oven for 10 minutes. You will also place the pan of tomatoes in but only for 3 to 5 minutes, ensure the tomatoes don’t become too mushy and hold their form.
- Serve: Cut the bread diagonally, you will now have triangles. Spread a generous amount of seafood dip onto the bread. Top with a tomato and alfalfa sprouts.
Variations
Looking to make this recipe even better check out these tips to better suit you and your guests:
- Sweetness: Try adding balsamic vinegar on top.
- Authentic Italian: If you don’t have the crab and shrimp you can opt for the classic tomato and basil topping.
- Budget friendly: You can use imitation crab instead of real crab.
- No Bread: No problem, if you have crackers like Saltines or even chips you can use them for your dip.
Storage
Try to serve only what will be eaten. If you are looking to store leftovers try to keep the bread and dip separate. The dip should be placed in an airtight container and can be kept in the fridge for 2 days. The bread should be cool before storing. Wrap the bread in foil tightly or an airtight plastic bag. It does not need to be refrigerated but should be consumed within 2 to 3 days. Keep in mind to keep out of direct sunlight or other heat sources.
What goes well with Crab and Shrimp Bruschetta?
As these are more seen as snacks or appetizers you can pair the crab and shrimp bruschetta with anything from a caesar salad to clam chowder. It’s also great with wine - go for an acidic and smoky red as it will balance well with the tomatoes.
Top Tip
If you have garlic toast it and thinly spread some on the toast before topping with the seafood spread. This will enhance the flavor of each bite!
FAQ
It will be 8oz in total, you can determine the ratio of shrimp and crab you’d like to use.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Crab and Shrimp Bruschetta:
Crab and Shrimp Bruschetta
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
Bruschetta Toppings
- 8 oz Lump crab & cooked shrimp chopped
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon Lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Black pepper
Bruchetta Base
- 3 rolls Ciabatta (making 4 pieces per each bread = 12 bites in total)
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
Garnish
- 12 Grape tomatoes
- Alfalfa Sprouts
Instructions
Prep
- In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Fold in the crab and shrimp. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the ciabatta rolls lengthwise. Brush the bread with olive oil. In a pan place tomatoes.
Cook
- Place the bread brushed with olive oil in the oven for 10 minutes. You will also place the pan of tomatoes in but only for 3 to 5 minutes, ensure the tomatoes don’t become too mushy and hold their form.
Serve
- Cut the bread diagonally, you will now have triangles. Spread a generous amount of seafood dip onto the bread. Top with a tomato and alfalfa sprouts.
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