Dish
Snack
Hot River Crab Bites
The Yawning Portal · Snack
Diet
Omnivorous
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 6 ounces high-quality crabmeat (see Cook's Note), drained
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (see Cook's Note)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup crème fraîche
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 endives, root ends trimmed and larger outer leaves separated (see Cook's Note)
Instructions
- Blot the crabmeat dry with a paper towel, if necessary, and pick over for shell fragments. Transfer to a small bowl, and add the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon of the salt; season with pepper; and stir to incorporate. Add the crème fraîche, lemon zest, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and most of the chives; season with additional pepper; and stir gently to mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the crab mixture into each of sixteen endive leaves, arrange them on a platter, and sprinkle with the remaining chives. Serve immediately.
Cook's Notes
Some markets sell freshly picked crabmeat in the seafood department or containers of pasteurized crabmeat in a refrigerated case near packaged smoked salmon, herring, and other fish. Both are more flavorful choices than the canned crabmeat you may find near the canned tuna and sardines.
Zest the lemon before squeezing the juice, as it's easier to zest intact fruit.
In case you're not familiar with endive, they are small, pale, torpedo-shaped heads of lettuce (really, a type of chicory) with a pleasant, mildly bitter flavor. If you can't find or don't like endive, you can serve the crab on crackers, cucumber slices, or lightly toasted slices of baguette.