Blue Crab and Cucumber Salad

May 14, 2021

YIELD 4 people
FEATURED SEAFOOD Blue Crab

During spring and summer I like a lighter crab salad that trades out the mayo for olive oil and citrus. This very simple crab salad goes great with Dashi marinated cucumbers. You’ll want to make the cucumbers a day before you want to eat them and probably a few extra. I love the depth that the bonito flake brings to these cucumbers. Enjoy!
– Chef Eric Montagne, Locals Oyster Bar

Ingredients

For marinated cucumbers
3 cucumbers
3 cups rice wine vinegar
2 cups Katsuobushi
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt

For crab salad
8 oz jumbo lump or lump blue crab meat
2 lemons, zest and juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sliced chives
1.5 oz sliced Casteveltrano olives (can substitute green olives)
2 oz shallots, pickled or raw

Preparation

For the marinated cucumbers
Peel most of the cucumbers, leaving a few patches of skin to add texture.

Slice the cucumbers roughly 1/6″ – 1/8″ thick using a mandolin or a knife.

Coat the sliced cucumbers with a 1/4 cup of salt. Place the salted cucumbers in a colander and allow them to drain for at least 6 hours.

Bring the vinegar, sugar, and remaining salt to a low boil then remove it from heat. Add the katsuobushi and allow it to steep while the vinegar marinade cools down.

Once your vinegar has cooled off, pass it through a strainer to remove the katsuobushi flakes.

After your cucumbers have drained, add them to a container and cover with the vinegar marinade. Refrigerate. Best if allowed to sit for at least 24 hours.

For crab salad
Pick through your crab meat to make sure there are no stray shell fragments.

Place all ingredients except the olive oil and salt into a mixing bowl and gently mix together. Then add the olive oil and salt evenly over the crab mix and toss gently to finish dressing.

Serve with marinated cucumbers, garnish with some fresh dill or tarragon and a little extra olive oil. Enjoy!