Hot and Cold Crab Salad
Pickles, Hard Boiled Egg, Iceberg Lettuce, Thousand Islands Dressing, Caviar
Chef Alex Kemp of My Loup | Philadelphia
Yield: 15 servings
INGREDIENTS
Thousand Island Dressing:
Yield: 15 servings
150 grams capers
480 grams pickles
300 grams diced shallot
7 grams salt
25 grams lemon juice
2 grams ground white pepper
400 grams ketchup
400 grams mayonnaise
Cold Crab Salad:
Yield: 15 servings
500 grams jumbo lump crab meat
Fried Crab:
Yield: 15 servings
15 soft shell crabs, cleaned
Buttermilk
500 grams all-purpose flour
500 grams Wondra flour
100 grams Old Bay seasoning
Oil for frying
Salt
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Iceberg lettuce, chopped and seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil
1 hard boiled egg, minced
2 tablespoons chopped gherkins
1 teaspoon diced shallot
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1 tablespoon sliced chives
Osetra caviar
METHOD
For the Thousand Island Dressing:
In a food processor, pulse capers and pickles until a coarse texture is achieved. Transfer mixture to a bowl, then stir in remaining ingredients. Set aside.
For the Cold Crab Salad:
In a bowl, combine crab and desired amount Thousand Island Dressing. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Fried Crab:
In a nonreactive container, submerge crabs in buttermilk. Let marinate 1 hour at room temperature. In a mixing bowl, combine flours and Old Bay seasoning. Set aside. In a fryer, heat oil to 350°F. Dredge crabs in flour mixture twice, then fry until golden and crispy. Season with salt. Let rest 2 minutes.
To Assemble and Serve:
Place the dressed lettuce on a serving plate. Top with a pile of Cold Crab Salad followed by 1 Fried Crab. Drizzle Thousand Island Dressing over top. Finish with egg, gherkins, shallots, capers, chives, and desired amount of caviar.