Crab towers with gazpacho and avocado salsaChris Kimball

By á-943

Ingredients

• Crabmeat salad
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 12 ounces lump crabmeat (or backfin), preferably Atlantic blue crabmeat, carefully picked over for shell fragments
• Gazpacho salsa
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 small cucumber, peeled if desired, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 medium plum tomato , cored, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small rib celery , cut into 1/8-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 small red onion , minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 small jalapeño chile , stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• Avocado salsa
• 3 avocados (ripe), cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime
• Garnish
• 1 cup frisée
• 2 oranges , peeled using a paring knife and segmented

Preparation

Step 1

For the crabmeat salad: Whisk the olive oil, champagne vinegar, lemon zest, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Measure 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette into a medium bowl and mix with the mayonnaise. Add the crabmeat to the mayonnaise mixture and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Set the remaining vinaigrette aside.
For the gazpacho salsa: Toss the yellow bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, celery, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, salt, pepper, olive oil, and sherry vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside.
For the avocado salsa: Toss the avocado, coriander, salt, pepper, and lime juice in a medium bowl and set aside.
To assemble: Place a 3-inch-wide round biscuit cutter in the center of an individual plate. Use a slotted spoon to press 1/3 cup of the avocado salsa into the bottom of the cutter using the back of a soup spoon. Lift the cutter off the plate slightly to reveal some but not all of the avocado. Holding the cutter aloft, press 1/3 cup of the crabmeat salad evenly into the cutter on top of the avocado. Lift the cutter farther to reveal some but not all of the crab salad. Holding the cutter aloft, use a slotted spoon to press 1/3 cup of the gazpacho salsa evenly into the cutter on top of the crab. Gently lift the cutter up and away from the plate to reveal the crab tower. Repeat the procedure five more times with the remaining ingredients. Dress the frisée with the remaining champagne vinaigrette. Place a few sprigs of the dressed frisée on top of each crab tower and arrange the orange segments, if using, around the towers. Serve immediately.