Servings: 4 Prep: 20 min Cook: 0 min Total: 20 min
I received a request for a crab salad. I’d never really made a traditional crab salad (basically crab mixed with mayonnaise), but have made various different “fresh” versions, throughout the years.
Below is kind of a fun recipe. It’s A LOT easier than it looks. Don’t be intimidated by it. The hardest part is cutting the tangerines. The rest only takes a few minutes, requires no cooking and your friends and family will swear you’ve been slaving away for days! It’s little more than a few fresh ingredients, thrown together in the right order, and then pressed, in layers, into a “ring mold”.
A “ring mold” is nothing more than a hollow cylinder. They come on all shapes and sizes, ranging from squat wide cookie cutters, to tall and narrow “toilet paper roll” shapes. I’ve seen expensive stainless steel ring molds and I’ve seen molds used from PVC pipe sections. I’ve also seen similar concepts in a variety of shapes, too! The same thing could be done as a square … or a star, if you have the mold and feel so inclined!
I actually purchased this Ring Mold Set and use it when I have guests. The weird part is … one of my favorite things is the tamper that comes with it! I use it to push down and squish all sorts of things. I love my tamper! 🙂
How To Note: The first step says to make tangerine sections. You can use the method in this video to make sections (called “Supremes”).
Crab Salad with Avocado and Tangerines
Print RateIngredients
- 2 each tangerines (mandarin oranges)
- 2 whole avocados peeled and sliced or diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup sweet red onion very fine dice
- 8 oz lump crab meat drained and picked to remove shells
- 1/4 cup english cucumber diced with skin
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Create sections with the tangerines. Make sure to squeeze the juice from the middle of the tangerine, into the citrus sections.
- Add the avocados to a small mixing bowl. Add your chopped cilantro, diced red onions and pour half of your excess tangerine juice into the avocado. Season with salt and pepper and mix together.
- In a separate bowl, mix together your crab, cucumber dice, olive oil and the remaining drips of tangerine juice from the tangerine sections. Season with salt and pepper, and mix together.
- Place a ring mold on a plate and add 1/4 of the avocado mixture. Hold the ring mold in place and apply gentle, but consistent pressure on the avocado, with the tamper. The idea is to create a solid layer (a disk) of avocado.
- Now, add 1/4 of the crab mixture on top of the avocado. Again, use the tamper to press the crab into a nice even layer.
- Above the crab add 1/4 of the tangerine sections. Make sure they cover the crab. You might need to use the tamper to gently press and nudge them into the crab. Make sure you clean the tamper before pressing the citrus into place. You don't want crab ON the tangerines.
- GENTLY pull the ring mold up and off of the crab salad. You may want to use the tamper to hold the salad down, while you pull the ring up from around it.
- That's it! Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Repeat 3 more times!
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What a brilliant idea! I will definitely make this gorgeous dish.
One question: I am one of those people for whom cilantro tastes like soap. What would be the best substitute: parsley? basil? mint?
Your website and recipes, along with those on Low Carb Scams, are THE best. Your training as a chef really shines through in the recipes.
Thank you for your meticulous attention to detailed information and explanations.
Thank you for the kind words, Carole! Cilantro doesn’t have a direct alternative and depending on the recipe, you may want to use different things. In this case, I’d say … mint! That said, I’d probably use about half as much. It’s a bigger flavor and heartier leaf. You don’t want it to overwhelm!