SERVES 6
You can prepare the crabmeat salad and gazpacho salsa several hours ahead of serving, but the avocado salsa should be prepared just before assembly.
CRABMEAT SALAD |
|
3 |
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1 |
tablespoon champagne vinegar |
1 |
teaspoon minced or grated lemon zest |
½ |
teaspoon Dijon mustard |
½ |
teaspoon table salt |
⅛ |
teaspoon ground black pepper |
2 |
tablespoons mayonnaise |
12 |
ounces lump or backfin Atlantic blue crabmeat, carefully picked over to remove cartilage and shell fragments |
GAZPACHO SALSA |
|
1 |
small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ⅛-inch pieces (about ½ cup) |
½ |
small cucumber, peeled if desired, seeded, and cut into ⅛-inch pieces (about ½ cup) |
1 |
medium plum tomato, cored, seeded, and cut into ⅛-inch pieces (about ½ cup) |
1 |
small celery rib, cut into ⅛-inch pieces (about ½ cup) |
½ |
small red onion, minced (about ¼ cup) |
½ |
small jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced |
1 |
tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves |
2 |
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1 |
tablespoon sherry vinegar |
¾ |
teaspoon table salt |
¼ |
teaspoon ground black pepper |
AVOCADO SALSA |
|
3 |
ripe avocados, pitted, peed, and cut into ¼-inch dice |
2 |
tablespoons juice from 1 lime |
¼ |
teaspoon ground coriander |
½ |
teaspoon table salt |
⅛ |
teaspoon ground black pepper |
GARNISH |
|
1 |
cup frisée |
2 |
oranges, peeled using a paring knife and segmented (optional) |
1. FOR THE CRABMEAT SALAD: Whisk the olive oil, champagne vinegar, lemon zest, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Measure 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette into a medium bowl and mix with the mayonnaise. Add the crabmeat to the mayonnaise mixture and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Set the remaining vinaigrette aside.
2. FOR THE GAZPACHO SALSA: Toss the bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, celery, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. FOR THE AVOCADO SALSA: Toss the avocados, lime juice, coriander, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and set aside.
4. TO ASSEMBLE: Place a 3-inch-wide round biscuit cutter in the center of an individual plate. Following the photos, press ⅓ cup of the Avocado Salsa into the bottom of the cutter using the back of a soup spoon. Lift the cutter off the plate slightly to reveal some but not all of the avocado. Holding the cutter aloft, press ⅓ cup of the Crabmeat Salad evenly into the cutter on top of the avocado. Lift the cutter further to reveal some but not all of the crab salad. Holding the cutter aloft, use a soup spoon to press ⅓ cup of the Gazpacho Salsa evenly into the cutter on top of the crab. Gently lift the cutter up and away from the plate to reveal the crab tower. Repeat the procedure five more times with the remaining ingredients.
5. Dress the frisée with the remaining champagne vinaigrette. Place a few sprigs of the dressed frisée on top of each crab tower and arrange the orange segments (if using) around the towers. Serve immediately.