By Forrest Parker
This historic gratin served as the calling card for Perdita’s, the midcentury Charleston landmark at 10 Exchange St. that once shared a pedigree with the finest dining rooms in Paris. Unlike its more modern, heavy-handed cousins, this Remick is a study in balance. The sweetness of the Atlantic blue crab is sharpened by a piquant, coral-hued glaze of mustard and tarragon vinegar, then anchored by the smoky salt of crisp bacon. It is a dish that tastes of a Charleston that knew itself—elegant, coastal, and unhurried.
- Yield: 6 servings
- Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds fresh white lump crab meat, carefully picked for shells
- 9 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
- 1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon celery salt
- 3 to 4 drops Tabasco, or to taste
- ¾ cup chili sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons tarragon vinegar
- 2 ½ cups mayonnaise
Preparation
- Step 1 Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide the crab meat evenly among six shallow individual baking dishes or ramekins. Place in the oven to warm through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Step 2 While the crab warms, prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry mustard, paprika, celery salt, and Tabasco. Whisk in the chili sauce and tarragon vinegar until combined.
- Step 3 Gently fold the mayonnaise into the chili sauce mixture until smooth and uniform in color.
- Step 4 Remove the crab from the oven and top each portion with the crumbled bacon. Spoon the sauce generously over the top of each dish, spreading it to the edges.
- Step 5 Switch the oven to broil. Place the dishes on the top rack and broil until the glaze is bubbling and lightly bronzed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Chef’s Note: If you’re sourcing your own, I always recommend Crosby’s Fish & Shrimp Co. on Folly Beach. Their commitment to local is why I’ve worked with them for years, both wholesale as a professional chef, and retail as a local resident.
The Chef’s Perspective: A Parisian Heart in the French Quarter
As a SC Chef Ambassador, I find the “Remick” fascinating because it represents a sophisticated culinary bridge. Perdita’s wasn’t just a local favorite; it was a bastion of French-influenced excellence tucked away behind two-foot-thick brick walls in Charleston’s historic French Quarter.
When the restaurant was named one of only five in the U.S. to receive the Medal of Honor from the Council of Paris, it cemented a legacy of technique. This dish is, at its core, a classic French gratin. It is a study in how a broiled, piquant glaze can elevate the sweetness of our local Atlantic blue crab to a world-class standard. To prepare this dish is to celebrate an era when Charleston’s culinary ambition was as vast as the ocean, proving that our local terroir belonged on the international stage. That’s still true today.
[Explore the ‘Ghosts in the Brick’ and the Parisian history of 10 Exchange St here.]
Shuck the Shell and Taste History: Join Me in the Kitchen
The Baked Crab Remick is a masterclass in French Quarter elegance. If you want to master the continental techniques and historic flavors that defined the Holy City’s most prestigious dining rooms, I invite you to join me for an immersive Charleston history and cooking experience.
We don’t just follow recipes; we connect the pre-Revolutionary stones of the French Quarter to the refined flavors on your plate. In our private cooking classes, we explore the convergence of European technique and Lowcountry bounty—the very alchemy that makes Charleston the culinary capital of the South.
[Book Your Private Cooking Experience with Chef Forrest Parker Direct] Direct booking ensures an intimate, expert-led experience and supports the preservation of Charleston’s independent culinary heritage.