The Dungeness crab topic

[David Ross]

2 hours ago, David Ross said:

Way, way back in 2001 I entered the MasterChef USA competition on PBS.  This Dungeness Crab salad was the opening dish in my final 3-course menu.  This photo doesn't do it justice because I didn't dice the cucumber smaller.  It looks like big chunks of zuchinni.  For the competition I served it with dried, sliced pear chips.  I think it's much better with homemade potato chips. 

 

At any rate, the base layer is diced cucumber and tomato, then a layer of Dungeness crab tossed in homemade mayonnaise.  I usually top it with a crab leg and another dollop of the mayonnaise.  I change the mayonnaise flavors, this time it was lemon and thyme. Sometimes I'll use fresh tarragon or fresh marjoram.  I love marjoram and wish it was used more in restaurant dishes these days.  When people taste homemade mayonnaise for the first time they wonder what it is since their palate has always been trained toward bottled commercial mayonnaise.  

 

 

Ingredients-

For the Crab Salad Mosaic-

1 1/2 cups Dungeness crab meat

1 cup seeded, diced tomato

1 cup seeded, diced cucumber

1 tbsp. grapeseed oil

 

For the Lemon-Thyme Mayonnaise-makes 1 cup mayonnaise

1 large egg

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 tsp. chopped lemon zest

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

salt and white pepper to taste

fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

 

Instructions-

Make the Lemon-Thyme Mayonnaise-

Place the eggs, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste in a blender. Process just until ingredients are combined, about 20 seconds. With blender running at low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil in a slow steady stream. Continue to add enough oil until the mayonnaise thickens. This will take about 2-4 minutes. 

Refrigerate the mayonnaise at least one hour before using to allow it to cool and the oil to set.

 

Make the Dungeness Crab Salad and Serve-

Place the diced cucumber and tomato in a bowl and spoon in the 1 tbsp. of the oil, and toss to coat. Spoon some of the diced cucumber and tomato in the bottom of a ring mold and gently press down. Place the crab in a bowl and add a spoon of the mayonnaise and toss gently to coat. Spoon a layer of the dressed crab on top of the cucumber and tomato layer.

 

Gently remove the mold. Add a crab leg on top of the salad and spoon over a dollop of the mayonnaise. Spoon some mayonnaise on the side of the plate, then garnish with fresh thyme and serve with chips.

This time rather than make my own chips I bought bagged Kettle Chips.  I think it was a special Holiday deal at $1 a bag for Tim's Chips in the regular size.  They're usually about $4.  I'll take it rather than the time and energy to make chips home, (at least this time). 

[lindag]

My market has fresh Oregon Dungeness Crab on sale this week for $6.99/lb.

Sign me up!!!

[heidih]

Oh!!!  Just spoke with my favorite seafood market. The California ones just coming into season = live in continuous sea water flow tanks are $28.99/lb. When I asked if there was a male v female cost he laughed and said "females are illegal!". I didn't know.