Creamy Crab and Caviar Parfaits

Name: Creamy Crab and Caviar Parfaits
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 118 milliliters finely chopped celery; 4 servings Fresh chive spears, rinsed; 227 grams shelled cooked crab (1 cup; see instructions below); 118 milliliters finely chopped English cucumber; 4 or 8 very thin slices English cucumber; 59 milliliters minced fresh chives; 118 milliliters tobiko caviar or salmon caviar (see notes); 4 servings Creamy wasabi dressing

For $8.03 per serving, this recipe covers 23% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. This recipe serves 4. One serving contains 140 calories, 19g of protein, and 3g of fat. It is a good option if you're following a gluten free, dairy free, and primal diet. Head to the store and pick up chive spears, salmon caviar, cucumber, and a few other things to make it today. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 45 minutes.

Instructions

In a bowl, mix celery, chopped cucumber, and minced chives.

Ingredients you will need

Cucumber

Celery

Chives

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Spoon 2 tablespoons crab into each of 4 tall, stemmed glasses (about 8 oz. each); divide half the celery mixture, half the creamy wasabi dressing, and half the caviar among glasses. Repeat, ending with caviar.

Ingredients you will need

Caviar

Celery

Wasabi

Crab

Garnish parfaits with cucumber slices and chive spears.

Ingredients you will need

Cucumber

Chives

How to cook crab

Ingredients you will need

Crab

Keep live crabs loosely covered in the refrigerator up to 12 hours. Grasp crabs carefully from the rear end, between the legs, and put in a pan to make sure they fit, with 3 to 4 inches of clearance below pan rim.

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Remove crabs and fill pan with enough water to cover crabs by 2 to 3 inches. Cover pan and bring water to a boil over high heat.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

One at a time, grasp crabs as described above and plunge them headfirst into the boiling water; if you have too much water, ladle out excess and discard. Cover pan and start timing. When water resumes boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound crabs 15 minutes, 3-pound crabs about 20 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Ladle

Frying Pan

Drain crabs; to be able to handle quickly, rinse briefly with cool water.

Ingredients you will need

Water

How to clean, crack, and shell crab

Ingredients you will need

Crab

Pull off and discard triangular flap from belly side.

Turn crab belly side down; pulling from the rear end, lift off back shell.

Ingredients you will need

Crab

Drain and discard liquid from shell. If desired, scoop soft, golden crab butter and white crab fat from shell into a small bowl to eat by the spoonful with crab or to stir into a dipping sauce. If using back shell for garnish, break bony section (mouth) from front end of shell and discard. Rinse shell well and drain.

Ingredients you will need

Dipping Sauce

Butter

Crab

Equipment you will use

Bowl

On the body section, pull off and discard reddish membrane that covers the center (if it hasn't come off with the back) and any loose pieces. Scoop out any remaining golden butter and add to bowl. Pull off and discard long, spongy gills from sides of body. Rinse body well with cool water.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Water

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Twist legs and claws from body. Using a nutcracker or wood mallet, crack the shell of each leg and claw section. With a knife, cut the body into quarters.

Equipment you will use

Knife

Break apart legs and claws; using your fingers, a small fork, a pick, or a crab leg tip, remove meat. Pull body sections apart and dig out pockets of meat. Discard shells. One cooked, cleaned 1 3/4- to 2-pound crab (with back shell) yields 7 1/2 to 8 ounces (1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups) of meat; heavier crabs do not always have more meat.

Ingredients you will need

Pasta Shells

Crab

Meat

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

118milliliters

finely chopped celery 4servings

Fresh chive spears, rinsed 227grams

shelled cooked crab (1 cup; see instructions below)118milliliters

finely chopped English cucumber 4

or 8 very thin slices English cucumber 59milliliters

minced fresh chives 118milliliters

tobiko caviar or salmon caviar (see notes)4servings

Creamy wasabi dressing

Recommended wine: Chardonnay, Muscadet, Riesling

Chardonnay, Muscadet, and Riesling are great choices for Shellfish. Buttery chardonnay is great for scallops, shrimp, crab, and lobster, while muscadet is a classic pick for mussels, oysters, and clams. If you've got some spice in your shellfish, a semi-dry riesling can balance out the heat. The Tyler Winery Santa Barbara County Chardonnay with a 4.1 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 30 dollars per bottle.