SMOKED SALMON AND CRABMEAT CUSTARDS
Custards
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
4 eggs
1¼ cups milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh white bread crumbs
1 tablespoon roughly chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces sliced smoked salmon
4 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
Salad
1 small head radicchio
1 small head oak leaf lettuce
1 small bunch dill
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon cider vinegar
12 grape tomatoes
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. For the custards, melt the oil and butter together in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté the celery and bell pepper until soft, but not colored. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. In a medium bowl beat the eggs, and whisk in the milk and cream. Add the bread crumbs and the chives. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
4. Line four ovenproof ramekins with the smoked salmon, so that none of the ramekin shows through. Pick through the crabmeat to discard any shell, and distribute it equally among the four ramekins on top of the salmon.
5. Add the sautéed peppers and celery to the egg mixture, and stir well. Pour it over the crab until it comes up to the top of the smoked salmon lining.
6. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the egg mixture is firm to touch. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes
7. For the salad and dressing, tear the radicchio and oak leaf lettuce into fork-size pieces and put them into a large bowl. You can use whatever lettuce you like best, but I feel that these two complement the salmon custards the best. Tear off sprigs of dill, and add to the lettuce. Toss the lettuce with the olive oil and lemon juice, and split among four plates.
8. In a small bowl combine the horseradish, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, and cider vinegar. Carefully remove the salmon custards from the molds, and place them in the center of the plates. Drizzle the horseradish dressing around the lettuce, and garnish with the tomatoes.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS