Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, Horseradish Dressing, Chilled
Roasted Beets, Pickled Red Onions, and Herb Salad
Recipe courtesy of Anne Kearney, August 2016
Yields: 8 salads – light lunch of nice starter for a sit down dinner.
Pickled red onions:
1# small red onions, peeled, halved, cored, and thinly julienned I peel then cut the
onion in half from the stem end thru the core end. Set the onion flat on a cutting
surface then wedge out the core. Lay it flat again cut side down with the stem end
away from you and the coreless end toward you. THINLY slice from one side to the
next, right to left, resulting in super thin strips of onion.
I typically gather all the ingredients for the brine then salt the onions and turn the
brine on to dissolve the remaining salt. Follow the procedure and all should be great.
The resulting onions will be bright pinkish, purplish and crisp & flavorful…..I love
these on so many things.
1/4 cup kosher salt, total
3/4 cup water
2/3 cups rice vinegar
3 thick strips of orange zest, cut off the orange with a peeler
4 coriander seed
4 white peppercorns
MUST BE DONE 1 DAY IN ADVANCE. In a small bowl, mix the onions with 2 Tbs. of
the kosher salt and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan
combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, remove
and cool for 10 minutes. Rinse the red onions with cold water until the saltiness has
dulled. Drain well. Place them in the appropriate sized non-reactive storage container
and strain the brine over the red onions. Using a spoon, press the onions to be
completely submerged in brine and refrigerate overnight. Remove the onions (with
gloved hands) from the brine daily as you need them.
Roasted beets:
1# small beets
1/4 cup rice vinegar (seasoned)
1/3 cup EVOO
Kosher salt and white pepper
Remove the very end of both the tip and stem end of each beet and place them cut
side down in a shallow baking pan. Fill the pan with water about a ¾ inch up the
sides of the beets. Sprinkle in a bit of salt, cover with foil, and roast until knife tender,
about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from the water and cool slightly just
enough to be able to handle them with gloved hands. Strain and reserve 2 cups of
the beet roasting water for later use.
Using your hands, rub the skin off. Using a mandolin, slice the beets very thin (1/8”)
into a bowl. DO YOUR BEST TO KEEP THE BEETS IN NEATLY CUT ROUNDS. Add
the reserved beet juice, rice vinegar and EVOO, season with salt and pepper. Allow
the beets to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a squirt bottle with a small
tip and save for the presentation. Chill the beets until needed.
Horseradish dressing:
1 large egg
Juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup light olive oil
Table salt and pepper
Sour cream, about 1/2 cup
Prepared horseradish, strained of excess liquid, as much as you dare.
1/3 cup thinly chopped chives
Place the egg yolk, lemon juice and generous pinch of Kosher salt & white pepper in
the food processor and process until frothy. Slowly drizzle in the oil until thick, season
well.
Place the mayonnaise in a stainless bowl with sour cream. Mix well.
At service, add enough horseradish to 1-1 ½ tbs. of mayo-sour cream mixture. Adjust
the seasonings and 1 tsp. chives.
Herb salad:
½ cup picked fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
½ cup picked fresh tarragon leaves
½ cup picked fresh chervil sprigs (bypass this is you’d like too, prep up extra of the
others)
½ cup snipped chive, ½ inch long bias cut pieces
Make sure the herbs are clean (dry) and store them covered with a damp towel.
To order, toss the herb salad with a small amount of EVOO, salt and white pepper.
This will top the mound of crab
The following ingredients are mixed in a stainless bowl per salad:
2oz. cleaned jumbo lump crabmeat (1/2 lump and 1/2 Jumbo also makes for a nice
mixture) , leaving the lumps as whole as possible, 1# Total
2 Tbs. Horseradish dressing
Each salad plate:
6 thin slices of beets
2 Tbs. drained red onions
1 Tbs. herb salad, oiled and seasoned
Drizzle of EVOO to “set” parameters
1 Tbs. beet “vinaigrette”
1 -2oz. portion crabmeat mixture
