Patricial Wells: Avocado and Crab "Ravioli"
Excerpt from Patricia Wells Vegetable Harvest: Vegetables at the Center of the Plate (William Morrow, April 2007)
The very first time I dined at Paris’s Astrance, chef Pascal Barbot presented me with this stunningly simple first course. Instead of a classic pasta base, the luscious avocado plays the role of the ravioli, with the sweet crab meat salad sandwiched in between. Top rate ingredients are a must here, but the rest is child’s play.
Equipment: 4 chilled dinner plates.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh crabmeat, cooked
Zest and juice of 2 limes, preferably organic
Zest of 2 oranges, preferably organic
1/2 cup finely minced fresh chives
Fine sea salt
Coarsely ground white pepper
2 ripe avocados, halved lengthwise, pitted and peeled
1 tablespoon almond oil or extra-virgin olive oil
Fleur de sel
1. In a large bowl, combine the crab meat, lime juice, orange zest, and chives. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Set aside.
2. With a very sharp knife, slice each avocado half lengthwise into 4 slices. Place 2 slices on each of 4 chilled dinner plates. Mound one quarter of the crab meat on top of the avocado slices on each of the 4 plates. Cover each mound of crab with 2 slices of avocado. Drizzle the slices of avocado with the almond oil. Season generously with fleur de sel , coarsely ground white pepper, and the lime zest. Serve immediately.
4 servings
306 calories per serving/20g fat/26g protein/8g carbohydrates
Wine Suggestions :
A mineral-rich Riesling such as the Domain Ostertag Clos Mathis 2002.
