They can go from game-day snack to cocktail party nibble with ease. The light and crispy shells are made with deep-fried wonton wrappers, which perfectly showcase the tender flesh of Dungeness crab. The average crab yields about half a pound of meat (about 1½ cups), so you’ll need just one crab for this dish. It’s far cheaper to cook and pick your own crab. But if time is of the essence, and your budget doesn’t allow for already picked crabmeat, try substituting shrimp, wild salmon, albacore, lingcod, or really any fish you like.
Makes 12
Ingredients
Taco shells
Canola oil, for deep-frying
12 round gyoza or wonton wrappers
Tacos
½ lb (about 1½ cups) crabmeat, from 1 (2 to 3 lb) Dungeness or snow crab
1 ripe avocado
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tsp olive oil
Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
About ¼ cup miso, maple, and lime vinaigrette
3 radishes, thinly sliced, for garnish
¾ cup radish sprouts, for garnish
Shichimi Togarashi, to sprinkle (see Notes)
Lime wedges, to serve
Method
Taco shells
Heat several inches of oil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, Dutch oven, or deep-fryer to 340°f.
Place a wrapper in a taco shell maker and gently lower it into the oil.
Cook for 30 seconds or until golden.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
(Alternatively, shape a piece of aluminum foil into a thick rectangle and drape the uncooked wrapper over it to form a taco shell shape. Use tongs to hold the wrapper onto the foil as you lower it into the oil. Continue holding it in place until it’s done.)
Tacos
Steam the crab and extract the meat from the legs and main shell. Cut each avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh into a medium bowl. Using a fork, coarsely mash the avocado with the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put spoonfuls onto serving plates. Stuff about 2 tablespoons of the crabmeat into each taco shell, and set them into the mashed avocado, which will help hold them upright. Top with a little vinaigrette and garnish with the radishes and radish sprouts. Add dots of vinaigrette around the plate. Sprinkle with a pinch of Shichimi Togarashi (see note). Serve the tacos with lime wedges on the side, and instruct guests to scoop up a little of the avocado with every taco.
Chef’s notes: Shichimi Togarashi is a popular Japanese spice blend and table condiment that is made of coarse ground red chili, sansho (a type of Japanese pepper), roasted orange peel, black and white sesame seeds, hemp seed, ground ginger and nori. It is available at Asian markets.
Excerpted from Lure by Ned Bell and Valerie Howes. Photograph by Kevin Clark. Copyright 2017 by Chefs for Oceans. Recipes copyright by Ned Bell excerpted with permission from Figure 1. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
