Jean Georges Vongerichtens Crab Salad Recipes

JEAN-GEORGES VONGERICHTEN'S CRAB SALAD

Steps:

• To make the crisps, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and cumin seeds. Add the vinegar, butter and water and mix thoroughly, but do not overmix.
• Working in batches and using a pastry brush, dab very thin 2-inch discs of batter onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
• To make the crab salad, break up the lumps with your fingers, removing any shell or cartilage but leaving the crab as intact as possible. Refrigerate. In a blender, combine the tomatoes, shallots, garlic, lemon juice, oil, vinegar and basil and blend until smooth. Season to taste.
• Slowly stir the tomato sauce into the crab meat. Coat the crab, but do not soak it. Place 3 scoops of crab salad on each of 6 plates. Place a cumin crisp between each scoop. Garnish with the mache and the mangoes.

CRAB TOAST WITH LEMON AIOLI

Steps:

• Lemon Aioli:
• Whisk egg yolk, garlic, lemon zest and juice, mustard, and a large pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in oil, drop by drop at first, until aioli is thickened and smooth; season with salt and more lemon juice, if desired.
• Crab Toast:
• Toss crabmeat, fennel fronds, 1 chile, and 2 tbsp oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt; add more chile, if desired.
• Drizzle both sides of bread with remaining 4 tbsp oil; working in batches, toast in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
• Spread each piece of toast with 1 tbsp aioli. Top with crabmeat; cut each toast into 4 pieces. Place a small dab of aioli in center of each piece; serve with lemon wedges. (Extra aioli can be used for dressings or dips.)