Avocado

Crab, avocado and pink grapefruit on a bed of romaine

October  2, 2010
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

Three years ago we visited Whistler in the summer. Coming from the typical Texas heat, I could not get over the wonderful scenery and balmy weather. I thought it was one of the most beautiful places ever. One day for we stooped to eat lunch at a restaurant that had a terrace, I think it might have been the restaurant inside the Four Seasons. I had a salad that was a scrumptious combination of crab, lobster, avocado and grapefruit, with a light citrus vinaigrette that perfectly married all ingredients together. I vividly remembered how happy I was watching our boys play with each other, breathing that fresh mountain air and eating what I thought was magical food. I told my husband that I was counting my blessings and that I wish I could somehow preserve that moment forever. As soon as I got home I tried to replicate that salad recipe; while it does not have that much in common with the sophisticated creation I had in Whistler, I still reach for it when I want to spice out our day to day routine or when we need a special light dinner after a particularly busy day in the office. —bistro_gal

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Crab Salad:
  • 8 ounces refrigerated lump crab meat
  • 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon agave syrup
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Greens, dressing and garnishes
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon agave syrup or less if you don't want the dressing to have a sweet undertone
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 cups romaine, chopped in bite pieces (other crunchy greens work as well)
  • 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
  • 1 pink grapefruit, skinned, sliced, membranes removed
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Mix all crab salad ingredients and refrigerate until you have assembled the rest of the salad.
  2. Whisk the first four ingredients for the base salad into a vinaigrette, add salt and pepper to taste and reserve.
  3. Mix the greens with half the vinaigrette and arrange on two plates. Arrange the slices of avocado and grapefruit on top of it. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.
  4. Divide the crab salad in two, and mound it on top of the greens. I typically use a one cup measure, fill it about 3/4 with the crab salad, then invert it gently over the greens. Serve and enjoy!

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • boulangere
    boulangere
  • TiggyBee
    TiggyBee
  • Sagegreen
    Sagegreen

3 Reviews

boulangere October 22, 2011
Wow! And it's coming up on season here in the western U.S. This looks wonderful, and I'll very much look forward to trying it - just mention grapefruit and I'm there.
 
TiggyBee October 4, 2010
Looks delish!!!
 
Sagegreen October 2, 2010
Lovely salad!