Dilled Crab Salad

Crab may seem an indulgence, and usually is. I've found that the canned crab meat at Trader Joe's is quite good and inexpensive at $1.99 per 6 oz. can. Use that, and have a special salad one night!

Ingredients

• 6 oz. jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced to 1/8” thickness
• 1 red bell pepper, 1/8” dice
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 3 TB fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TB sweet cider or raspberry vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Pick over the crab meat to remove any stray pieces of shell or cartilage. Leave the large lumps intact. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, olive oil and lemon juice to form an emulsion. Add the diced vegetables and dill and stir to combine. Gently stir in the crab meat, being careful not to further break up the lumps.

At this point you may add a splash or two of the vinegar and mix until the salad reaches the desired consistency. It should be neither too dry nor too wet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the crab salad in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.

For hors d’oevures for a party, serve over artichoke bottoms (you can buy a can of prepared artichoke bottoms in the supermarket for another $2)

-Chef Mark Tafoya http://www.culinarymedianetwork.com