Crab salad with mustard-citrus sauce
“Love hasn’t changed the way I cook, but it is the reason why I cook.”
Read Let Him Cook on The Cut (NY Mag)
Serves 2
MAYONNAISE
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup avocado oil
½ tablespoon lemon juice
SALAD
½ pound Blue Claw crab
¼ cup mayonnaise, plus two tablespoons
1 tablespoon chive, slice very thin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 small yellow endive
2 Persian cucumber
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of red chili flakes
1. Start by making the mayonnaise: Whisk egg yolk and mustard together in a bowl; when mixed thoroughly, gradually whisk in the avocado oil in a slow, steady stream to form a thick emulsion. Whisk in the lemon juice and season with fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper. Place in a clean container and store in a cool place.
2. For the crab, carefully go through the crab meat, inspecting for any shells and being careful not to break the meat up. Set aside in a bowl and keep cool.
3. Then, for the endive, cut the root end of the endive off and separate the leaves. Choosing 4 of the nicest leaves cut into batons approximately 3 inches long by ¼ inch wide. Set aside in a bowl and cover with a damp towel.
4. Slice the Persian cucumbers into ¼ inch disks and set aside.
5. To make the sauce, combine two tablespoons of mayonnaise with one tablespoon of Dijon mustard, stir till well combined, and dilute with one tablespoon of water. Then season with fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, set aside.
6. To make the salad, season the crab with a small amount of fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, then combine it with 2 to 3 tablespoons of freshly made mayonnaise. Stir in the lemon juice, and then add the chives. Set aside and keep cool.
7. On two chilled plates, make a ring of cucumbers, slightly overlapping, approximately 3 inches in diameter, in the center of the plate. Divide the crab salad evenly between the two plates. Season the endives lightly with fine sea salt, and then arrange them on top of the crab. Sprinkle with red chili flakes, spoon a little sauce around the salad, and serve immediately.
