experiencelifemag.com

Print › | Back ›

Dungeness Crab Salad with Artichoke, Avocado and Red Bell Pepper Dressing

Serves four as a main course

1 pound (about 2 cups) Dungeness or other crabmeat
1 shallot, finely minced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup artichoke hearts (about six), packed in olive oil, drained and cut into small pieces
1 tbs. chopped fresh chives
Pinch of Old Bay Seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 tbs. white wine vinegar
2 tbs. olive oil
2 ripe Hass avocados
Kosher salt
Lemon wedges

Make the crab salad: Combine the crabmeat, shallot, mayonnaise, artichokes, chives and Old Bay; mix gently and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make the dressing: Combine the chopped pepper, garlic and enough water to barely cover them in a small saucepan. Simmer until the pepper is soft, about 10 minutes. Reserve the liquid; purée the pepper in a blender, adding the vinegar and olive oil once the mixture is smooth. Season to taste; adjust the consistency with the reserved cooking liquid. Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Season the avocados with kosher salt. Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to mound the crab salad onto the halved avocados. Drizzle with dressing. Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe excerpted from The Ethical Gourmet by Jay Weinstein (Broadway Books, 2006).