King Crab in Blood Orange Butter on Lemon Pear Arugula Salad

By slebel

Ingredients

• Lemon Pear
• 2 Anjou pears
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) honey
• 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
• Black pepper
• Vinaigrette
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) coarse grainy mustard
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced shallot
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) honey
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) canola oil
• Salt and pepper
• King Crab
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) dry white wine
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced shallot
• 3 blood oranges
• 8 oz (250 g) King crab meat, removed from shell and cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, cut into pieces and chilled
• Salt and pepper
• For Assembly
• 2 bunches arugula, washed and trimmed

Preparation

Step 1

. To make lemon pear, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Slice each pear into 8 segments, remove core (leave skin on) and place in a baking dish. Heat honey with peel from lemon (removed with a vegetable peeler) and juice with butter on low heat for 5 minutes. Pour honey and lemon peel over pears and toss. Sprinkle lightly with black pepper and bake for about 20 minutes, until pear is tender. Remove lemon peel and hold pear at room temperature.

3. To make vinaigrette, whisk mustard, shallot, lemon juice and honey. Gradually whisk in oil until incorporated. Season to taste and set aside.

4. To make crab, place wine and shallot in a small saucepan. Peel oranges with a knife, and remove orange segments with a paring knife so that they are free of pith, squeezing juice from membrane. Add blood orange juice into saucepan (setting aside orange segments) and reduce mixture to about 2 tbsp (25 mL). Stir in crab to warm. Over medium-low heat, add cold butter, a few pieces at a time, until all has been added. Season to taste and stir in reserved blood orange segments, stirring gently just to warm.

5. To serve, arrange arugula on each plate. Drizzle vinaigrette over and place 2 pear slices on each plate. Spoon warm crab beside greens and serve.