Once again, this was a very OLD recipe that I found from digging thru my archives (that would be the drawer that I stuff recipes in that I want to make).
This week's ingredient was picked by Ida - Vico Girl on Slow Travel. My recipe was kind of unusual, but both the salad and the sauce turned out very well. My sauce didn't get as thick as the recipe showed, so I served it in a bowl instead of drizzling it on the Endive.
Crab Salad with Endive and Tomato-Cilantro Sauce
From Jensen's Market Monthly Fine Wine Newsletter - September 1998
Crab Salad Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup chopped Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped, seeded red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped, seeded green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 pound crab meat, drained well
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
Sauce Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 heads Belgian endive, trimmed and separated into spears
For Crab Salad: Heat oil in heavy large skillet over med-high heat. Add shallots and ginger and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add apple, zucchini, both peppers and carrot and saute until tender, but not brown, about 5 min. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Mix crab meat, mayonnaise, 2 tbl chopped chives and sauteed vegetables in large bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper., (Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate).
For Sauce: Combine tomatoes, cilantro, vinegar, garlic and cayenne in blender and puree until almost smooth. Gradually add oil and blend until the sauce is thick. Transfer to a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange endive spears on large platter, tips toward platter edge. Spoon crab salad into center of platter. Drizzle sauce over endive. Garnish salad with chopped fresh chives and serve. Serves 6 appetizer sized portions.
