CRAB SALAD WITH TOMATO-SAKE GELEE

CRAB SALAD WITH TOMATO-SAKE GELEE image

Yield 6 people

Number Of Ingredients 11

3/4 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup sake
Salt
1 packet gelatin, softened in 3 tablespoons water
1 pound jumbo lump crabment or cooked and peeled small shrimp
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 basil leaves, very thinly sliced
Freshly ground black papper
1/2 cup finely diced cucumber

Steps:

1. Puree the tomatoes in a food processor. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a small saucepan. This should yield about 1 cup liquid. Add the sake to the tomato water and heat over a medium-low flame until verywarm to the touch. Season to taste with salt. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin until it is fully dissolved. Pour into a pie dish or other baking dish. Chill until firm. 2. Just before serving, put the crab in a bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and basil. Season with salt and pepper and toss lightly. Place a small mound to one side of each of 6 plates. 3. Unmold half the gelee (reserving the rest for another use--with goat cheese and toasts, for instance) and chop into small pieces. Spoon in line or half moon shape next to the crab. Then spoon the cucumber next to the gelee.