Spring had sprung but the picnic’s indoors. Crab & Grapefruit Salad with mini-muffins.
Quick, no thinking, come up with five different food pairings:
- fried chicken and mashed potatoes&gravy;
- hamburger and french fries;
- apple pie and vanilla ice cream;
- corned beef and cabbage;
- pork chops and applesauce.
Now, try to throw grapefruit and lump crabmeat into the mix. Yes, that would be a stretch.
Stretching is what Dorie Greenspan and these French Fridays cooking adventures are about. This week she raised the bar again and asked us to prepare a Crab & Grapefruit Salad (p.134). She even provided a full-page photograph (p.135). Love it when she does that. Whether it was her creative recipe combo, the inspiration of the picture or my being back in the familiar surroundings of my own kitchen, this was one delicious salad.
Shortly after returning from California this week, Colorado friends called to say they were in town, suggesting a Thursday lunch date. I explained I was on Dorie duty that day and invited them here without elaborating on the menu. Early Thursday morning, I got to work.
Red Bell Peppers, Cucumbers & Scallions, Lump Crabmeat, and Grapefruit, ready to be tossed together.
Early springtime mint, fresh from my herb garden, provides the top hats for my salad servings.
With Dorie, it’s always imperative to read through the entire recipe well in advance before beginning the preparation. Case in point. After the grapefruit is sectioned and removed to a paper towel, the fruit must be dried. For hours. Six, for me.
Other ingredients including a seedless cucumber, red bell pepper and scallions, simply need a dice or slice. Use your fingers to toss everything together with the crab before adding small amounts of olive oil and grapefruit juice. Salt and pepper, to taste. Lemon juice and minced fresh mint give this salad extra punch.
The fun of this salad is in its presentation. I tried four different glasses (clockwise: Martini Glass; Parfait Dish; Antique Etched Water Glass; and Brandy Snifter) each with its own “look”. I still don’t have a favorite.
Each glass container shows off beautifully.
To complement the salad, I passed mini-bran muffins. Another strange food pairing, perhaps, but it worked well against the richness of the main dish. My guests enjoyed the lunch. I enjoyed my guests. This story, therefore, has a happy ending.
To see what other French Fridays’ cooks did with this salad, go to http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/. Although Dorie’s recipe for this salad is available on line, we suggest you buy her book, Around My French Table. The cost of her book is less than the cost of the pound of lump crabmeat I used in this salad.
What a great presentation you did there with the different glasses. I was surprised myself at this tasty pairing. Great post!
See now I didn’t think this was a stretch at all. It’s funny reading different people’s reactions to the dishes! Now sardine rillettes – THAT will be a stretch….
This one didn’t scare me (at least once I removed bell pepper from the equation), but it was definitley not traditional. Next month’s selection TOTALLY scare me (except for week 1…). But I am going for it!
Yup, this paring was a stretch for me, but it works. I learned something new. In fact, it is delicious. Your presentation for this salad is beautiful.
I really like your presentation, I think that using different glasses actually enhances the presentation. Nicely done.
I don’t have a favorite glass either – how fun to show all the different glassware. So glad you had a happy story ending with this one, Mary. Your friends are a spoiled bunch – I’ll say it again!
Indoor picnic! I adore that idea and how generous of you to invite your friends to share with you. It’s really cute how you served the salad on mismatch glassware. Hard to pick a favourite for sure.
Great post, Mary. Your salad looks wonderful no matter what shape of glass it is served in. I really like that you served it in different types of glasses. This is a perfect lunch to serve to guests. I bought some daffodils this week as well. So pretty!
How fun that you shared this elegant dish with friends…and I love that you used 4 different serving glasses!
Love the way your salad looks in your pretty glasses! Such an elegant salad deserves a pretty serving container! I really loved this one…not looking forward to the sardine rillettes…that one scares me!
I like your glass assortment. They are all pretty! What lucky lunch guests! I hope they enjoyed their lunch.
Love the different glasses! The salad looks so elegant in them and what a great presentation for the crab!
What I didn’t post on my blog was that I put my grapefruit between paper towels and squeezed. I didn’t have time to wait hours for the drain! Love all of your glasses, looks great!
5 food pairings – great start to post! Definitely has me thinking. Can’t wait to catch up and try this. Hope you enjoyed your trip to California.