Crab Salad with Tomato-Sake Gelée

06. August 2005 Shellfish 0

This was a sweet recipe from Amanda Hesser of The New York Times. Sweet, as in, new and exciting. I made it as an appetizer for a party I threw for my Dominican and Ecuadorian girlfriends. You can use cheap sake for this but definitely get the good-quality and real crab meat from your fishmonger.

Ingredients:
3 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup of sake
1 pound of crab meat
1 packet of unflavored gelatin, softened in 2 tbsps water
zest of 1 lemon
juice of half a lemon
8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Purée tomatoes in a food processor. Strain through a sieve into a saucepan. It should lead about 1 cup. Add the sake and heat over medium-low fire until warm. Season with a little salt.
2. Remove from heat and stir in softened gelatin until fully dissolved. Pour into a plastic bowl to mold. Chill until firm and ready to use.
3. Just before serving, combine crab meat, zest, lemon juice, olive oil and basil leaves in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss lightly. Place a small mound on a plate.
4. Unmold gelée and chop into triangles. Place next to the crab salad.

Related post/s:
Where to buy crab meat