Vinaigrette
2 limes zested
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Combine the zest, juices, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Set aside at room temperature.
Ginger Sauce
2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1 large egg yolk
¾ cup canola oil
Kosher salt and ground white pepper, to taste
4 cooked Dungeness crabs, about 1½ pounds each
3 mangos
¼ cup salad greens or radish sprouts, garnish
2. Combine the ginger, lime juice, soy, and egg yolk in a blender or small food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin, steady stream until the sauce emulsifies (thickens). Keep refrigerated.
3. Remove the 2 claws and the 4 largest (front) legs from each crab.
4. Cut off the small knuckles at the joint where they attach to the main claw; save these small pieces for another use.
5. Using a wooden mallet or small hammer, very lightly tap the shells of the crab claws until they crack in several places, taking care not to smash the meat in the process.
6. Bend each small pincer claw away from its larger counterpart until it snaps; then, very gently twist it in order to release the tiny piece of crab inside the shell.
7. Carefully extract the claw meat from the broken shells, hopefully with the pincer claws still attached.. Crab legs have many small sections and removing the meat in neat pieces can be difficult. Use only the largest segments, those closest to the body.
8. Cut off the lower, smaller pieces at the first joint and save for another use. Tap the shells in the same manner as for the claws and carefully extract the fingers of meat. Each salad should have 6 whole pieces of crab.
9. Place the crab in a medium bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk the vinaigrette to re-emulsify it, then pour into it over the crab. Very gently blend the ingredients with a rubber spatula, taking care not to break the crab pieces.
Recipe courtesy of Cal Stamenov, Bernardus Lodge
