Sunday, March 28, 2010

Crab and Avocado Duet




Once, a college girl was in love. Or lust. Or something, but she certainly knew that this boy, this boy who sat in front of her in Fiction 101, this boy with the black hair and the clear blue eyes? This boy was going to change her life.

That is, if he'd ever notice her.

She always sat behind him, but at an angle, so she could study his broad shoulders, his lush eyelashes, the tiny clench of the jaw when he concentrated. She peered out from beneath her behemoth 80's bangs, stealing glimpses, feeling fizzy and full and hollow all at the same time.

She wore her best Guess? jeans to lectures, did the required reading twice before class so so she'd sound intelligent if called upon. She nearly lip-glossed herself to death.

And then one day, one amazingly fine day, he noticed her. Not only did he notice her, he asked her to a party. A Fraternity party. The kind of party she never got asked to.

The Fraternity house smelled like sweat and Budweiser and stale marijuana, and what passed for a bathroom in that place was criminal.

But the boy didn't get too drunk and he made decent conversation and he said he liked her blue sweater. He didn't seem to notice the slight tremor of her hand as she held her beer cup or that she struggled for words.

He walked her back to her dorm at the end of the night, and just when she was sure he'd never kiss her, he leaned in slowly...

And nearly ate her tongue.

If the boy ever found himself unemployed, she thought, he could hire out that tongue as a Roto-Rooter. She almost choked on that enthusiastic, crack-the-whip monstrosity.

And BAM! The dream was over. So much promise...

That's kind of how I felt when I made this Crab and Avocado Duet from Ellie Krieger's cookbook So Easy.

The ingredients were good lookin'. The presentation was innovative. The finished dish, I was sure, was going to have that wow factor. But in the end? Disappointing.

It really didn't have much flavor, to be honest. And I used good crabmeat, Scout's Honor! I was flummoxed. What's not to like about crab and avocado?

In the end, I separated the crabmeat from the avocado, added some capers and a squeeze of mayonnaise, a dab more dijon, a few cracks of salt and pepper, and put the avocado, the "doctored-up" crab mixture and a few slices of tomato on a soft roll. Then I sweetened the deal with a few strips of crisp bacon. Crab club sandwich! A big improvement, I thought, and hubs had to agree. We happily munched Plan B. and decided that there's more to life than good lookin'.


Crab and Avocado Duet
from Ellie Krieger's So Easy
serves 4


1 ripe avocado
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch of ground pepper
1/2 pound lump crabmeat
2 tablespoons chopped chives or parsley

whole grain baguette, to serve

Pit and peel the avocado and cut it into 1/2-inch chunks. In a small bowl, toss the avocado chunks gently with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and season with salt to taste.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, the Dijon mustard, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the crabmeat and toss.

For a decorative presentation, stand an empty 15-ounce can (with both the top and bottom removed) on a serving plate. Scoop a quarter of the avocado into the can, being careful to avoid any sharp edge on the rim. Place a quarter of the crabmeat on top and press down gently into the can. Gently pull the can off the avocado and crab mixture. Garnish with chopped chives or parsley.

38 comments:

  1. Only you could take a college memory that sounded like a Sex and the CIty episode and segue it into a recipe. BRAVO!

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  2. I had a kiss like that, but it was in eighth grade.

    I had to read this even though I was supposed to be getting off the computer, because crab and avocado is just too good to pass up. Sounds like a delicious sandwich. I'll have to tell my husband to make it!

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  3. I love how you used that story as an analogy - you are a hilarious witch! Oh well, the crab avocado duet at least looks good.

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  4. Ha. I think we've all had a kiss like that. Mine was when I was 18. Bummer.

    But then there's the OTHER one. The one that looks... eh... just OK. And then the kiss comes and BANG. I find Rosie Daley's recipies are like that surprise swoon kiss.

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  5. I never had a kiss like that, thank you God. And I thought your story was going to be unrequited love....like mine. A basketball player. A hunk. Perfect in every way. And he never gave me a second glance. Not once. The big ass.

    Oh well, you've doctored up Ellie's crab and avocado salad so it sounds like a great sandwich! Of course anything with bacon can't be bland.

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  6. You said it, more to life than looking good. I find both crab (which I love) and avocado (not so hot on) to have very delicate flavours. I try not to bury the flavour of crab too much, and I tend to eat it simply - on crackers or something! Avocado, I must admit to avoiding unless someone serves it when I'm a guest. This happened when we visited Bill's sister in Sydney. Their neighbours have an avocado farm somewhere, so we got lots. I just reminded myself it's good for you and added salt and lemon juice. It was almost OK then.

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  7. Bacon makes everything better!
    jc

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  8. Great intro to the "disappointment."

    The picture looks great, though! :)

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  9. I must of been really boring while growing up. Nothing stands out in mine like yours does! Or maybe it's your talent, and what you learned in that class to be able to pull things out and write so captivatingly...

    ok...well good for you. I always end up adding what I like after a fail too.

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  10. I love crab and avocado and bacon so that has to be good. I bet it would be good in a salad too.

    And I LOVE that story. So many things that look good really aren't.

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  11. I hate tongues that almost trigger the gag reflux. (Sort of like crab does for me.) Avocado, though? That speaks to me like Guess jeans did back in the day.

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  12. I'm laughing out loud. It is funny how something can look so beautiful and then turn out to be a total turnoff once you get close. I can think of several experiences where once he opened his mouth I was out of there! Sounds like you created a far better recipe than the original!

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  13. LOL! I swear I had the same date back in the early 90s! The kiss that killed the deal. Uggh. Sorry about the crab salad. At least you could work your genius and salvage it!

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  14. I can see how the initial recipe was lacking--there is so little seasoning--but I applaud your edits. The bacon makes it less "healthy," but if it's between that and wasting the dinner at a loss, I think you did quite well for yourself.

    Besides--it's all in moderation, anyway!

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  15. Love your story!!
    I will try your version of the crab and avacado...it sounds great.

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  16. Yeah, I can see the crab/avo combo being on the bland side -- they're both such delicate flavors.

    It looks great, though! (Hopefully the crab & avo didn't try to eat your tongue as well! Yikes.)

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  17. You are such a good storyteller. Seriously, you get me to read every word and that's not easy in a scan and click kind of world.

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  18. You have a wonderful way of relating stories that everyone (or most everyone) can relate to! Your writings always make me smile.

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  19. Oh that kiss -- what an ending! Effectively illustrated, TKW. Yikes.

    (Effective parallel to your review of Ellie Krieger's recipe, too.)

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  20. Haha you are hilarious lady. I know the disappointment well. Good looking people who are rubbish at kissing and the other sexy stuff should have some kind of warning tattooed about their person so that the people can prepare themselves and make an informed decision.

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  21. But when making the sandwich were you wearing a blue sweater and Guess? jeans?

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  22. I've had those dates, and those dishes. Wasted potential is so frustrating. Glad you managed to turn the recipe into a save.

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  23. Never heard an intro to a recipe quite like that...loved it!

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  24. You are so funny! I love the comparison! So glad you managed to rescue it...unlike the unfolding love story... xxx

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  25. I just about spit out my coffee. Hilarity!

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  26. Oh I needed this laugh today. I really needed it.
    Though I could REALLY go for a bit of Hawaii right now. Live it up, girl.

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  27. Ewwww! I hate icky kissers! Back in the early 90's a very good friend of mine wanted it to be more but he was the most slobbery kisser ever! I just couldn't take, it was like he was trying to wash my face! Ack!

    I love your 'doctored up' version very much!

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  28. Loved the story, not so fond of the crab. Not your crab, any crab, so this one I won't be trying. But thanks for the laugh on a day that has been challening to say the least.

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  29. You know how much I LOVE fish!! (Wink wink.) This story, though, made me laugh. Hard. You are too funny, Kitch.

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  30. Oh my gosh, TKW, I thought you were going to say that you ended up marrying him! So funny!

    Sounds like you made two ingredients much better together.

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  31. See, that's what I envy about you, Kitch. You take something bad and make it good. I would have tossed it and ordered a pizza.

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  32. I hate when that happens - a recipe looks so good on paper, then meh?!

    And bacon makes everything better!

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  33. OMG you're hysterical. (Your tale reminds me of the chin-licker kissing episode on Sex and the City.)

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  34. Loved the story! Loved your doctored recipe! But most of all? I love that you used the word flummoxed!

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  35. I'm back on meat today! This sounds delicious. And spring has shown up in full force. Can't wait to break out your club sandwich version of this dish over the weekend!

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  36. lmao.
    it looks lovely, except for the clammy seafood, which *is* probably like a violating tongue...

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  37. Hahaha that's an awesome story. Don't you hate it when cute boys can't kiss? Your recipe sounds lovely, only I'm allergic to crab so I might have to make it with tuna.

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  38. ARGH. You lured me in and then you dumped me right there. With tongue and teeth. LOL. You did it again: parables buried in cooking lessons. You are a modern Aesop. :-)

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