Best Dungeness Crab Salad Recipes

DUNGENESS CRAB AND FENNEL SALAD WITH CREAMY LIME DRESSING

Steps:

• Halve fennel lengthwise (or quarter if large) and discard core, then shave fennel lengthwise as thinly as possible using slicer. Soak sliced fennel in a bowl of ice and cold water until it is crisp, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Blend all dressing ingredients, except oils, with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender at high speed until combined. With blender still on high, add oils in a slow stream thourough top hole, blending until emulsified. Season with salt and white pepper.
• Drain fennel and pat dry, then toss with crabmeat and dressing. Divide spinach among 4 plates and top with crab salad.

DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD WITH SWEET PEA TENDRILS AND ORANGE DRESSING

Steps:

• To make the orange dressing: Heat the grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add red onion and garlic and allow to sweat for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in tomatoes, orange and chives and cook for an additional 2 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in fresh mint leaves. Set aside until needed.
• For the crab salad: Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce and mayonnaise in a medium mixing bowl. Gently fold in crabmeat. Using a 2 or 3-inch circle cutter, form crabmeat into rounds. Top with orange dressing and 2 tablespoons pea tendrils. Serve chilled.

DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Whisk together lime juice and ginger in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Make the salad: Slice or shave carrots, fennel, radish, rutabaga, and turnips, preferably on a mandoline, into very thin rounds over a large bowl; toss. Add vinaigrette, jalapeno, cilantro, and mint, and toss to combine. Season with salt. Gently fold in crab. Garnish with cilantro and mint.

CELERY, FENNEL, AND APPLES SALAD WITH DUNGENESS CRAB

Steps:

• Pick through crab and remove any shell; if needed, rinse crab and squeeze dry. Refrigerate crab until ready to plate.
• Lightly peel the outside of the celery stalks to remove stringy portion. Cut the celery into paper-thin slices (a mandoline is best for this). You should have 1 cup. Trim fronds from fennel bulb, cut bulb in half lengthwise and cut out most of the solid core, leaving enough in place near the root end to hold fennel together. Shave fennel very thinly, too, so it is almost feathery, enough to make about 1 cup.
• Taste diced red onion; if very pungent, soak in cold water for about 15 minutes. Drain well, blot off excess moisture and combine with the celery and fennel. Cover with a damp towel and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Warm curry paste and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until curry paste looks grainy and becomes aromatic, about 15 seconds. In a small bowl, combine curry mixture, mayonnaise, 4 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice and a couple grinds of pepper; season with salt to taste.
• When ready to serve, cut apple into small dice and add to celery and fennel. Toss just enough curried dressing with the celery-fennel-apple salad to lightly coat.
• Whisk remaining 1-2 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, dress lettuce with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat.
• Divide ingredients among 6 standard-size martini glasses, layering the lettuce, celery-fennel-apple salad and crab. Garnish crab with sprinkle of lemon zest and a fluff of mixed herbs. Serve with a lemon half-moon.

DUNGENESS CRAB ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH ORANGE VINAGRE

Steps:

• 1. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cook asparagus in boiling water to cover 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.
• 2. Combine orange rind and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Drizzle about half of dressing over asparagus, and toss well. Arrange asparagus in center of each of 4 plates.
• 3. Add crabmeat and green onion to remaining dressing, and toss well. Spoon crabmeat mixture evenly on top of asparagus.

DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD WITH AVOCADO, BEETS, CRèME FRAîCHE, AND LIME

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Cut the leaves from the beets, leaving 1 inch of stem still attached. (Save the greens for another dish.) Clean the beets well, and toss them with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Place the beets in a roasting pan with a splash of water in the bottom. Cover with foil, and roast 30 to 40 minutes, until tender when pierced. (The roasting time will depend on the size and type of beet.) When the beets are done, carefully remove the foil. Let cool, and peel the beets by slipping off the skins with your fingers. Cut the beets into 1/2-inch wedges. Toss them in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning.
• While the beets are in the oven, combine the shallots, jalapeños, lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil. Taste for balance and seasoning.
• Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and peel. Cut into 1/4-inch slices, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fan the avocado slices on one side of a chilled platter. Place the beets on the other side, and arrange the watercress in the center.
• Toss the crab gently with two-thirds of the jalapeño-lime vinaigrette, the parsley, and the cilantro in a large bowl. Taste the crab, and season with more salt or lime if you like. Pile the crab on the watercress, and top with the crème fraîche. Sprinkle a little cracked black pepper over the crème fraîche, and drizzle a little more vinaigrette over the avocado.

SUMAC COUSCOUS SALAD WITH DUNGENESS CRAB AND CALIFORNIA AVOCADO

Steps:

• Place the lemon juice, garlic, shallots, salt and pepper in a medium bowl, whisk to combine. Add olive oil in a steady stream while whisking to emulsify vinaigrette. Finish seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
• Place couscous in a large bowl. Combine water, harissa, parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour the spiced, boiled water over the couscous and cover with saran wrap for 20 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork.
• Toss the crab, avocado, sumac, peppers, Serrano chili, couscous, and 1/2 cup lemon vinaigrette in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• In a separate bowl, toss the watercress and julienned tomatoes with a 1/2 cup of the lemon vinaigrette.
• Place 1/2 cup Sumac Couscous Salad in the center of a plate. Mound about 1/3 cup of the watercress mixture on top of the couscous. Serve immediately.

HEARTS OF PALM SALAD WITH RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT AND DUNGENESS CRAB

Steps:

• Dressing
• Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl. Marinate hearts of palm in 3/4 cup dressing in another bowl for at least 1 hour. Divide watercress between 2 plates; top each pile with hearts of palm. In another bowl, mix crabmeat, herbs and 1 tsp dressing; season with salt and pepper; toss until thoroughly mixed. Divide seasoned crab between 2 plates of watercress. Top with grapefruit pieces.

LAYERED DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD

Steps:

• Place lettuce in bottom of glass serving bowl. top with half the crab, bell pepper, celery, onions, and eggs, arranging ingredients in a single layer. Top with half the dressing. Repeat layers. Top with remaining dressing. DO NOT STIR. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving.

DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD WITH SHAVED FENNEL

Steps:

• To prepare mayonnaise: place egg yolks, dijon mustard, and 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice in a stand mixer. Beat until combined and slowly add 1 cup of olive oil drop by drop until mayonnaise is thick and emulsified. Add 1 more TBSP of lemon juice and 1 more cup of oil slowly. Stir in chopped tarragon, salt, and white pepper to taste. To prepare salad: combine crabmeat, apples, and mayonnaise to taste in a large bowl. Cover four small serving plates each with 1 cup of chiffonade greens. Place a pastry ring or a tuna can with top and bottom cut out in the center of each plate and spoon salad mixture into ring. Gently press to form cake shape and remove ring. Top each salad with a small handful of shaved fennel and serve. Note: For a different presentation lose the pastry ring and chiffonade and just mound the salad mixture on a small bed of mixed green. Fennel fronds and lemon slices make attractive garnishes.

WATERMELON GAZPACHO WITH DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD

Steps:

• Chill six wide soup bowls.
• Combine all the gazpacho ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Reserve in the refrigerator.
• Combine the crab, lemon zest and olive oil, and toss gently. Reserve in the refrigerator.
• When ready to serve, pour 1 cup of gazpacho into each bowl (you may end up with a bit left over), place four watermelon balls into each bowl, then add the diced cucumber and peppers. Place a pile of the crab in the center of each bowl, top with the cilantro and drizzle the olive oil around.