Caribbean Crab Souffle

½ cup sweetened, flaked coconut

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

⅓ cup celery tops

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon salt

ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cups milk

4 egg yolks

½ pound crabmeat

6 egg whites, stiffly beaten

¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 8 cup souffle dish.

Toast coconut in a non-stick skillet over low heat.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over low heat and add the celery, garlic, curry powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper - cook for 3 minutes. Stir in flour until smooth for about 1 minute. Pour in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Set aside and cool slightly. Whisk the egg yolks one at a time into the sauce. Stir in coconut and crab meat.

In medium bowl, beat egg whites and lemon juice with a mixer until stiff, but not dry. Stir 1/4 of the whites into crab mixture. Quickly and gently fold in the remaining whites. Do not deflate the volume. Transfer mixture to the souffle dish and place it on a rack at the bottom of the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden, puffed and still moist inside.