4 ripe avocados
15 oz crab meat or
1 lb fresh crab meat
8 tb mayonnaise
4 to 6 drops worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely minced, peeled celery stalks
1 salt, depending on the saltiness of, the crab meat
1 pinch white pepper
1 pinch cayenne or
1 drop to 2 drops tabasco
1 head iceberg lettuce
2 lemons
Directions
1. Split the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. With a
melon-ball cutter, gently enlarge the cavity toward the stem end.
2. With a fork, mash the avocado pulp which was removed.
3. Mix the pulp with 4 tbs. of the mayonnaise, salt if needed,
pepper and cayenne or Tabasco. Gently fold in the crab meat and the
celery.
4. Divide the crab mixture among the eight avocado halves.
5. Mix the Worcestershire sauce with the remaining 4 tbs.
mayonnaise. With a pastry bag or a cone made from wax paper, pipe
approximately 1/2 tbs. of the mayonnaise mixture on each filled
avocado half.
6. Remove the outside leaves of the iceberg lettuce. Arrange the
leaves on a serving platter. Cut the inside part of the lettuce into
very thin strips and make 8 small nests on the leaves lining the
serving platter. Place an avocado half on each nest.
7. Cut each lemon in quarters and garnish the serving platter with
the slices of lemon. Serve. If desired, offer additional mayonnaise
separately.
CHEF'S SECRET: When you buy avocados, they should not be soft but, if
pressed gently, should give about the same resist-ance as an orange.
Once at home, pack each avocado in a brown paper bag and leave them
at room temperature overnight. Of course, chill before serving.
If you use canned crab meat, it is advisable to pick it over.
Sometimes you may find a small piece of the shell. Definitely taste
it for saltiness. Certain brands improve with a quick rinsing with
water.
If you have to rinse it, don't do it under the faucet. Place the meat
in a sieve and dip the sieve in a small amount of water. Loosen the
meat with one finger, then remove the sieve from the water and shake
the meat dry. The flavor will not be destroyed, but the saltiness of
the canning liquid will be gone.
Enlarging the cavity of the avocados with a melon-ball cutter has two
purposes; you have the subtle taste of the pulp in the crab mixture,
and it is easier to arrange the filling without making it messy.
Definitely peel the celery stalks for this dish with a potato peeler
so that no strings get into the salad. The celery is needed for its
crunchy texture to counterbalance the softness of the avocado and
mayonnaise and the fleshy chewiness of the crab meat. If you do not
care for the taste of celery, you can substitute peeled, seeded,
finely chopped cucumber.
Makes 8 servings.
From "The Chef's Secret Cookbook", Louis Szathmary, Quadrangle Books,
Chicago. 1972.
Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; March 14 1993.
Servings: 8 servings
Avocado With Crab Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Crab; Fish; Fruit; Seafood
The History of Recipes
Transcribed cooking instructions as a concept can be tracked way back into the far past, at least as far into history as the ancient Egyptians, and possibly even further. In practice though, in the main part, these old records were just simple pictorial instructions for meal preparation.
Fascinatingly, the oldest recipe in existence, according to Professor Solomon Katz, are some ancient tablets in Sumerian which show the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made drinkers feel `blissful`. As we move into The time of the roman empire 25BC a roman called Apicius wrote a number of documents detailing recipes prepared by the Romans. In his publication, he tells us how the roman meals were separated into hors d`oeuvre, main meal and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. This early Roman chef informs us how the cooks of his times were skilled in the use of a wide range of herbs, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example basil, rue and parsley. As our culinary historical trip moves to more modern times we find a couple of cookery books from the 14th Century - a recipe book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another titled `Curye on Inglish`. Despite their titles, these are unconnected to the spicy food that is served today, but rather recipes for the types of food eaten by the rich and powerful of that time. In the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought back a variety of foods, spices and herbs from Arab countries, such as coriander, parsley, and basil. The introduction of these new culinary ideas prompted an eruption in manuscripts on cookery, some of which still exist in private libraries. Over the next few centuries, the powerful and rich houses competed to lay on the best banquets, and as a consequence, cooks and their recipes were highly sought after. However, it wasn`t until the 19th century that cooking and recipe publications became really popular. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the US, spent years to assembling, verifying, and recording the recipes of their peers. By the arrival of the twentieth century, cook books were highly popular due to more people being able to read, more free time and being a little richer. The introduction of television gave us TV cooks and the spin-off recipe books. Which brings us neatly up to date and the invention of the internet, allowing everyone to access massive numbers of recipes just like those on the site you are now reading. |
We hope you enjoy this Avocado With Crab recipe.
