Ingredients

12 large cremini or white mushrooms
six ounces unsalted butter, melted
4 green onions, chopped
2 T chopped fresh tarragon
8 oz Dungeness crab, picked over to remove pieces of shell
2 T mayonnaise, preferably homemade
juice of ½ lemon
grated Gouda cheese, about 4 ounces

Directions

Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove any debris. Remove stems being careful not to break the caps. Finely chop the stems and set aside.

Place the mushroom caps in a mixing bowl with all but 2 Tbs. of the melted butter and toss to coat. Lay the mushrooms, stem side up on a cookie sheet. Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add the remaining butter, the chopped stems, the chopped green onions and tarragon. Cook until mushroom stems are soft about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a clean bowl, mix the crab, mayonnaise, the lemon juice and the cooled mushroom mixture until well combined but don't over mix.

Fill the mushroom caps with the crab mixture and top with the grated Gouda. May be made to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 day ahead. You may substitute another mild, melting cheese such as Fontina, Mozzarella or Monterey Jack.

Pre-heat Broiler. Broil the mushrooms until cooked through and browned on top. Serve hot as an appetizer or side dish. Very nice at room temperature as well.

Recipe Courtesy: Chef Roy Harland, Slates Restaurant

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