See Also: Beggar's Purses with Crabmeat(recipes)
royal touch(medicine)
beggar(2)(dictionary)
beggar(1)(dictionary)
BEGGAR(law)
Beggar - Poker(gambling)
beggar 2, verb(dictionary)
Beggar's Opera, The(dictionary)
beggar's lice(medicine)
Beggar thy neighbor(finance)

Beggar's Purses with Crabmeat (recipes) and royal touch (medicine)


Beggar's Purses with Crabmeat (recipes)


Makes 6 purses







Crabmeat Salad:

1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over, cartilage and shell removed

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. minced green onions

1 tsp. minced parsley

1 tsp. capers

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne



6 pre-made 4 ½ inch crepes

6 chives, blanched



Crabmeat Salad:

In a medium bowl, gently mix together all of the ingredients, except for the crepes and blanched chives.



Blanched Chives:

Dip chives in boiling water for 2 seconds and plunge them into ice water. Pat dry and lay them out individually on a towel.





Spread the crepes on a flat work surface and place 1 heaping tablespoon of the crabmeat salad in the center of each. Draw up the crepes as though making a bundle, twisting the crepe gently to enclose the crabmeat. Tie a chive around the top of the bundle to seal the purse.



Serve immediately, or store, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. Serve at room temperature.







This appetizer was made popular by Susan and Barry Wine at the Quilted Giraffe, circa 1975-1992, in New York City. A beggar’s purse consists of a filled mini crepe. The edges of the crepe are pulled up in pleats around the filling and securely tied with a chive. The ruffle at the top makes this edible package look like a miniature purse. The original Quilted Giraffe appetizer contained caviar and crème fraiche.



royal touch (medicine)


royal touch


A touching of a patient by the king, which was thought to be curative; usually applied to patients with scrofula, but also done with patients with enlarged lymph glands (buboes) of plague.