Friday, June 28, 2013

Crab Salad Stack with Green Gazpacho



We are big crab fans around here, BIG crab fans. There is nothing better than sitting around the picnic table on a warm summer day cracking Old Bay laden Blue Crabs, eating corn on the cob, sipping a cold beer to quell the heat (from spice and sun), all the while chatting with family and friends.

But sometimes, steamed crabs get messy and you want something a bit more genteel (and less work for the eater) -- like a crab cake or some sort of crab salad. That was exactly my thought when I was looking for "the perfect thing" to serve for Father's Day lunch. My in-laws were coming over and I wanted to do something tasty with a touch of summer, and I had crab on my mind -- but something other than my usual crab cake (delicious, but done). And then, I remembered a recipe torn from the pages of a shelter magazine about a year ago. A simple Crab Salad topped with creamy, sliced avocado and cooling mango set in a pool of White Gazpacho made with cucumber, grapes and Marcona almonds. A spicy Mango Salsa added a colorful compliment. Inspired,  I dug through my pile of  "I want to make this one day" pages (admit it you have one of those too) where it, thankfully, lay near the top:

Crab Salad Stack with Green Gazpacho - serves 6

(adapted from thespotgourmet.com)


Gazpacho:



1 English Cucumber, peeled, chopped, seeded
2 C seedless Green Grapes
1 C Marcona Almonds
2 T chopped Fresh Dill
1 T minced Garlic
1/2 small minced Shallot
1 C Vegetable Broth
1/4 C plain Non-Fat Yogurt (regular or Greek)
1/4 C Sour Cream
1/2 C Olive Oil
Optional:
3 T Sherry Vinegar
2 T Spanish Sherry


  • Place first 6 ingredients in blender. Puree until smooth.
  • Add vegetable broth, yogurt and sour cream. Blend thoroughly
  • Add olive oil in a thin stream as motor runs on medium. Puree 1 minute.
  • Add sherry and sherry vinegar, if using.
  • Season with S&P, to taste
  • Store in fridge until ready to use (up to 3 days)

Crab Salad

1 lb lump Crab Meat
1/4 C diced Celery or Carrot, or a combination
2 T minced fresh Chives
1/4 t S& P (each)
1 T fresh Lemon Juice
2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
2 dashes Hot Sauce
1 t Horseradish
1 t Dijon Mustard
1/4 C Mayo (reg or low- or fat- free)

  • Combine mayo, mustard, horseradish, worcestershire, hot sauce, lemon juice.
  • Add chives, celery/carrot, S&P.
  • Gently fold in crab meat.
  • Store in fridge until needed.

Mango Salsa

1 C diced Mango
1 T diced Red Onion
1 T diced Red Pepper
1T chopped Cilantro
1 t minced & seeded jalapeno
2 T Lime Juice
1  Olive Oil


  • Combine all ingredients. Chill.

Additional Ingredients/Supplies

2 Mangos, peeled & sliced
2 Avocados, peeled and sliced
6 3"x2" ring molds or ramekins 


Assembly:


If Using Ring Molds:

  • Place ring molds in center of soup plate or other shallow bowl
  • Fill mold with 1/2 C Crab Salad
  • Top salad with 4 slices Mango
  • Top mango with 4 slices Avocado
  • Cover ring mold with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour





If Using Ramekins:

  • Line Ramekins with plastic wrap, allowing at least 2" overhang
  • Place 4 slices Avocado in dish
  • Top avocado with 4 slices Mango
  • Cover mango with 1/2 C Crab Salad
  • Cover salad with Plastic Wrap, and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour

Time to Eat:


Ring Molds:
  • Pour 1/2 C Gazpacho around ring mold.
  • With plastic wrap in place, and while softly pressing avocado, slowing remove ring.
  • Remove plastic wrap.
  • Top stack with Mango Salsa
Ramekins:
  • Peel back plastic wrap
  • Invert bowl over ramekin.
  • With one hand on bottom of  bowl and one hand on bottom of ramekin, flip bowl over
  • Keeping plastic wrap in place, gently remove ramekin.
  • Remove plastic wrap
  • Pour 1/2 C Gazpacho around Stack
  • Top stack with Mango Salsa
Serve with extra mango, avocado and salsa, and a loaf of warm crusty bread.

Enjoy!













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