Crab and Tomato Salad

There is nothing better in the summer than crab and tomatoes and together they are dynamite. Tomatoes are coming to the end of their season (way too hot) but crab is in. I picked up a new magazine called “Louisiana Kitchen and Culture.” In their July and August issue I found a wonderful recipe for crab and tomatoes. This would be a great August recipe to try since it is cooling and tasty.

Crab Salad and Savory Tomato Sorbet

Crab Salad

1 large tomato

1 ½ cups prepared guacamole

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon diced pickles

Hot sauce

½ pound lump crab meat, picked over

Tomato Sorbet (recipe follows)

Make a remoulade sauce by combining mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, and hot sauce; adjust taste with hot sauce and mustard. Gently fold in crab meat, taking care not to break up lumps.

To Assemble:

Slice tomato into 4 generous slabs and center a piece on each serving plate. Top with an appropriately sized ring mold.

Spread 1/3 cup guacamole on top of each tomato slice.

Divide crab salad among the four molds; press down firmly and make a depression in the center to act as a cradle for the scoop of tomato sorbet. Garnish with minced green onion, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Tomato Sorbet

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 pounds tomatoes, preferably grape or pear tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dried thyme

 1 medium shallot, minced

1 bay leaf

3 generous tablespoons of light corn syrup

1 small can tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Hot sauce

Place olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add whole tomatoes and sauté until skins begin to blacken. Add the garlic, thyme, and shallot and continue cooking until the shallot is transparent; remove from heat, carefully transfer to a blender and, and purée.

Transfer purée to a saucepan; add the bay leaf, corn syrup, and tomato paste. Bring mixture to a simmer, lower heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf; cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and hot sauce.

Makes about 2 cups.