My friend Mark Tafoya and his partner Jennifer Iannolo at the Culinary Media Network are preparing to publish the Gilded Fork Cookbook and they’ve asked for volunteers to test and photographs some of the recipes. One of the recipes I tested was Dilled Crab Salad on Artichoke Bottoms, part of their Summer Picnic menu. The recipe could be served as an appetizer on artichoke bottoms or on a bed of lettuce as a salad. What I loved about this recipe was the combination of fresh flavors–lemon, dill, cucumbers. The lump crab was a little pricey, but well worth the extra dollars. I also liked that the preparation was super simple and fast (about 20 minutes), but the final presentation was very impressive. After tasting the appetizer and salad, my mom and I enjoyed the remaining crab salad on water crackers with a glass of white wine from Argentina. Perfecto!
| Dilled Crab Salad |
- 6 ounces jumbo lump crab meat, picked over to remove any shell bits
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced to 1/8” thickness
- 1 red bell pepper, 1/8” dice
- 2 celery stalks, strings removed and finely diced
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fine quality extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sweet cider or raspberry vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 15-ounce cans artichoke bottoms
- Prepare the vegetables: Peel the cucumber and halve it lengthwise. Using a small spoon, gently remove the seeds and slice thinly into 1/8” slices. Dice the red bell pepper to 1/8” dice, then remove the strings from the celery, cut into lengthwise strips, and dice to 1/8” dice. Finely mince the dill.
- Make the salad: Pick over the crab meat to remove any stray pieces of shell or cartilage. Leave the large lumps intact. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, olive oil and lemon juice to form an emulsion. Add the diced vegetables and dill and stir to combine. Gently fold in the crab meat, being careful not to further break up the lumps.
- At this point you may add a splash or two of the vinegar and mix until the salad reaches the desired consistency. It should be neither too dry nor too wet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the crab salad in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Just prior to serving, open the can of artichoke bottoms and carefully shave off the bottom end of each so the artichoke bottoms sit flat and level.
- Service: If serving as an hors d’oeuvre, place one or two heaping tablespoons of the crab salad on each artichoke bottom and garnish with a small sprig of dill. If serving as a plated salad, line the serving plates with lettuce leaves, place the salad on top, and serve immediately with a crusty baguette.
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