1 pound fresh, frozen or canned crab meat, drained and picked over to remove all bits of shell and cartilage, then finely shredded
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons soft fresh crumbs, made from homemade-type white bread, trimmed of crusts and pulverized in a blender or shredded finely with a fork
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.With a pastry brush, spread 1tablespoon of the softened butter evenly over the bottom and sides of an 8-inch glass pie plate.
2. Combine the shredded crab meat and 1 cup of the bread crumbs in a deep bowl and toss them together with your fingers, to combine them. Set aside.
3. In a heavy 6- to 7-inch skillet, melt the other tablespoon of softened butter over moderate heat. Add the green peppers and garlic and, stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, until they are soft but not brown.
4. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sherry, lime juice, parsley, red pepper, mace, salt and a few grindings of pepper.
5. Add the entire contents of the skillet to the crab meat and crumb mixture and toss them together gently but thoroughly.
6. Transfer the entire mixture to the pie plate, spreading it and smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the surface with the remaining 2 tablespoons of crumbs and dot it with the 4 tablespoons of butter bits.
7. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve at once.
