Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Spicy Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Black Bean Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce


I think I’ve been in the cooking doldrums.

You know what that’s like. Total lack of inspiration.

That doesn’t mean that I’ve got nothing to turn to in the fridge to get inspired.

It just means that when I look in there nothing inspires me.

Until I saw… the crabmeat.

I want crab salad. I don’t want a mayonnaisy thing.

But I want tons of flavor. And you know, I wouldn’t mind a bit of the Latin influence going on either.

Did you know there are tons of crab salad recipes in the world but none like this.

Spicy and decadent at the same time.

And fast. I was surprised how easily this came together.

In less than an hour.

Inspired eating in less than an hour.

Who knew?

Bobby. Of course.

Spicy Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Black Bean Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Adapted from a recipe in From My Kitchen to Your Table by Bobby Flay

Black Beans:
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
A good shake of ancho chile powder
A couple of swirls extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp Citrus Vinaigrette

Combine and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Citrus Vinaigrette:
¼ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
A couple of leaves of fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Combine juices, basil and onion in blender and blend til smooth. Keep motor running and add olive oil in thin stream and blend til emulsified. Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
May be refrigerated up to one day. Use on grilled fish. It’s faboo.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
4 good sized roasted red peppers (I had them in a jar and went for it. Too hot to cook)
¼ medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 canned chipotle pepper
6 tbsp fresh lime juice
1-½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine peppers, onion , chipotle and lime juice and blend until smooth. Keep the motor running and slowly add the olive oil in thin stream until emulsified. Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Makes about 2 cups.

Crabmeat:
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
2 tbsp Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
1-½ tsp fresh lime juice
A good squirt wild honey
1 tbsp pureed canned chipotle pepper
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine it all and season to taste.
This can be made a day in advance.

Serve with sliced tomatoes and avocados with extra Roasted Red Pepper Sauce on the side.

Serves 4.


Share/Save/Bookmark

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That citrus dressing sounds amazing with the crab. Perfect summer meal.

pam said...

Seriously, that came together in less than an hour? I love the components in it!

Anonymous said...

This looks great. Nice and light for the summer.