Skip to main content

Crostini with Lump Crab Salad and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4.2

(6)

Image may contain Food Bread Dish and Meal
Crostini with Lump Crab Salad and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Rick Tramonto's book Fantastico!

Don't look any further for a succulent crab salad open-face sandwich. The little garlic toasts piled high with rich, moist crab can be polished off in one or two bites. I can't think of a better way to start a meal! Don't skimp on the crabmeat. You need only a pound, so buy the best you can find. Bon appétit!

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 roasted red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon torn fresh basil
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
8 to 12 slices Rick's Basic Crostini

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    1. Pick through the crabmeat to remove any bits of shell. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl.

    Step 2

    2. Add the 1/2 cup of olive oil, bell pepper, chives, basil, lemon juice and zest and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

    Step 3

    3. Top each crostini with about 1 tablespoon of the crab mixture. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

From Fantastico by Rick Tramonto, Mary Goodbody, and Belinda Chang Copyright (c) 2007 by Rick Tramonto. Published by Broadway Books. Rick Tramonto, the executive chef/partner of Tru in Chicago, was named one of Food & Wine's Top Ten Best Chefs in the country in 1994 and selected as one of America's Rising Star Chefs by Robert Mondavi in 1995. He has also been nominated four times for the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest, winning the award in 2002. Tru, which opened its doors in May 1999, was nominated for the 2000 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant and named one of the Top 50 Best Restaurants in the World by Condé Nast Traveler. Tramonto is the coauthor, with his partner Gale Gand, of American Brasserie and Butter Sugar Flour Eggs. Mary Goodbody is a nationally known food writer and editor who has worked on more than forty-five books. Her most recent credits include Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Companion, The Garden Entertaining Cookbook, and Back to the Table. She is the editor of the IACP Food Forum Quarterly, was the first editor in chief of Cooks magazine, and is a senior contributing editor for Chocolatier magazine and Pastry Art & Design magazine. Tim Turner is a nationally acclaimed food and tabletop photographer. He is a two-time James Beard Award winner for Best Food Photography, winning most recently in 2002. His previous projects include Charlie Trotter's Recipes, Charlie Trotter's Meat and Game, The Inn at Little Washington, Norman's New World Cuisine (by Norman Van Aken), Jacques Pepin's Kitchen, and American Brasserie.
Read More
The clams’ natural briny sweetness serves as a surprising foil for the tender fritter batter—just be sure to pull off the tough outer coating of the siphon.
Kewpie Mayonnaise is the ultimate secret ingredient to creating a perfect oven-baked battered-and-fried crunch without a deep fryer.
Spaghetti is a common variation in modern Thai cooking. It’s so easy to work with and absorbs the garlicky, spicy notes of pad kee mao well.
Berbere is a spicy chile blend that has floral and sweet notes from coriander and cardamom, and when it’s paired with a honey glaze, it sets these wings apart from anything else you’ve ever had.
The kimchi brine is the secret hero here; just a splash of it brightens the cocktail while deepening it with a little funky je ne sais quoi.
The mussels here add their beautiful, briny juices into the curry, which turn this into a stunning and spectacular dish.
Cajun-Creole shrimp is combined with a light cream sauce, and two together are off-the-charts delicious. It’s full of flavor without being too spicy.
Rather than breaded and fried as you might expect croquettes to be, these are something more akin to a seared chicken salad patty.