Crabcado (Gluten Free/Dairy Free)
You'll impressed your guests with this easy crab appetizer. Even the name has them wondering the amount of time you spent making this dish and will be blown away by your culinary skills. It will be our secret that it's easy to make. It can be made ahead of time and assembled just before you're ready to serve it. This is made with jumbo lump crab meat. I was one of those people who just shook their head, in agreement when people started talking about lump crab meat, blue claw, etc. I didn't want them to think I had no idea what they meant. Let's be honest, I had NO IDEA what they were talking about, I was just trying to be polite.
No worries, after you finish reading this blog and making this appetizer, you'll be ready to put on your yellow fishing rain bib and slide on those hip boots and go crabbing!
Let's explore crab as our body would process it nutritionally. It's low in fat and contains Omega-3 polyunsaturated acids. Crab is low in calories and has a mild fish taste depending on the grade of crab you purchase.
In the United States crab is processed in different grades, depending on which part of the crab's body it comes from and the overall size of the crab the meat is taken from. Colossal (also called Mega Jumbo Lump Crab) is the largest. Unbroken pieces from the blue claw crab are carefully removed from the shell. Jumbo Crab is similar to colossal except some of the pieces are broken when the crab is processed. Jumbo crab also has a brilliant white color. Lump crab meat are broken pieces of Jumbo Lump and what is commonly used for NJ crab cakes. Back fin crab meat has broken pieces of white crab and are used in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland style crab cakes. Special crab meat, sounds impressive, no? This is the crab that has been chopped or flaked during the processing and is sold to use in any dish that contains crab meat. Claw crab meat is darker in color and has the strongest taste of crab. This is used in soups and dips where the strong crab flavor can be supported by other ingredients.
Was that crab information overload? Now we both can listen attentively to the next crab conversation (yes people do talk about crabs) and offer our input proudly, knowing I read the blog, I'm crab smart!
Now we have the all this crab info, let's get cooking, you'll need:
1 cup Jump Lump Crab (look thru carefully making sure there's no shells)
1/8 tsp celery seeds
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 Avocado sliced thinly
Fresh parsley - for garnish
1/8 tsp lemon zest
Olive oil
Ring mold for presentation - (if you don't have one a 4" round cookie cutter works great)
Place cleaned crab in a large mixing bowl. Add celery seeds, pepper, and lemon zest. Mix gently and press into a ring mold on an appetizer plate. (when using a ring mold, you'll need to push the crab down, without breaking the pieces. I find if I spray the ring mold with a vegetable spray it's easier to remove) Lift the ring mold up gently and top the crab with a thin slice of avocado. The creaminess of the avocado will replace the mayonnaise that is traditionally used..
Finish with pieces of lump crab and drizzle olive oil over the top. Garnish with sprigs of fresh parsley. The parsley will be the fresh note that is needed for this dish and can be replaced with cilantro, if you prefer.
Having an herb garden is a perfect way to ensure that you'll always have fresh herbs. I grow parsley in containers and the taste is mild, bright and there when I need it for cooking.
Keep this appetizer cold and serve within an half an hour of assembly.
This would be great with garlic bread toast points or break sticks.
Tastessence.com recommends a buttery Chardonnay to pair with our crab appetizer. They say, "A crisp, white Chardonnay has enough acidity to complement the sweetness of crab meat."
Enjoy and leave me your feedback on this recipe.