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Though I didn’t follow Dorie Greenspan’s directions to a “T,” this Crab-Avocado Ravioli was still an elegant and delightful salad!

Crab Avocado Ravioli on a white plate

Crab-Avocado Ravioli

I was flummoxed for a brief second when looking down the shortlist of ingredients for this Crab-Avocado “Ravioli.” The quotation marks in Dorie Greenspan’s title provided a clue that this wasn’t any ordinary ravioli. Instead of a filling between two pasta sheets, this ravioli was a crab, shallot, cilantro and lime salad nestled between thin sheets of avocado. I was sold.

Crab Avocado Ravioli slices on a white plate with a flower garnish

The Mandoline

I broke out the real Chef’s Mandoline for this project. My cheapo Japanese Benringer just didn’t cut it. Insert groan. The recipe stated to cut through the peel and pit and, apparently, my blade was a little dull. Finger sized indentations in the sides of the avocado slices weren’t part of the plan. My never used, able to sever fingers, mandoline made its debut and worked smashingly. No blood or guts. But I stopped after slicing two avocados and cut the third in half and piled on the crab salad. My version of Dorie’s Crab-Avocado Ravioli was just as sublime.

Dorie Greenspan’s Crab Salad Recipe

Apparently there are many versions of this Crab-Avocado Ravioli dish found in bistros across France, though credit for the original was given to Chef Pascal Barbot of the tony Parisian restaurant, L’Astrance. A very similar recipe from Patricia Wells can be seen here . Dorie used minced shallots instead of chives, omitted the orange zest (though it sounds like a marvelous addition), and added a tablespoon of chopped cilantro. If you’re having some ladies over for lunch, this would be a tres chic entree. You might also enjoy this Lobster in Endive Cups.

Crab Avocado Ravioli | An elegant, delectable crab salad presentation!
The Recipe:

Crab-Avocado "Ravioli"

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Yield 4 servings

An elegant, delectable way to serve crab salad. Adapted from Chef Pascal Barbot of the Michelin-starred l’Astranc via Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

  • ½ pound of lump crab meat, free of shells
  • 1 lime, juice and zest
  • 1/2 shallot, minced, rinsed and patted dry
  • 2 tablespoons of almond oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
  • Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
  • 2 large, ripe but firm avocados

Instructions

  1. Place the crab in a bowl and add lime juice, zest, shallot, cilantro. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Keeping the avocado skin and pit intact, cut into thin slices with a mandoline. Remove the skin and pit from the slices. Alternatively, cut avocado in half, remove pit.
  3. Place the largest slices of avocado on each plate, 2 per plate, and add a scoop of the crab salad to the middle of each avocado slice. Or to the center of the avocado halves. Use smaller pieces of avocado to garnish, if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 374mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 13g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American, French / Category: Salads

Skinny Tip

I’m starting a new series of Skinny Tips. How I keep slim is one of my most frequent inquiries. I’ll feature tips on some of my upcoming blog posts.

Tip #14: Use a smaller plate for each of your meals. Go down one size and your reduced food portions will fill the plate. It will not feel like you’re depriving yourself when you cut down on your serving size.

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