Incredible Crab Salad

The holiday season is full of parties and lots of food, fattening food that makes you feel sluggish. Here is something different. Something light and refreshing, but oh so delicious, Incredible Crab Salad. This was inspired by my favorite appetizer from Ruth's Chris', the crabtini. It is a tasty blend of lump crab meat, fresh herbs and remoulade sauce. Not only does it taste wonderful, it looks wonderful. Served in a glass over shredded lettuce, it is a light and scrumptious treat, something that won't fill you up before the feasting begins.

Here is my version of this tempting appetizer.

Incredible Crab Salad
1 lb lump crab meat
two lemons, for juicing
handful of fresh parsley, chopped (about 4 tbsp)
2 green onions, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 hearts of romaine lettuce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
fresh ground pepper
remoulade sauce
more lemons

Drain crab meat and place in a large bowl. Squeeze lemons over crab meat. Add chopped parsley and green onions and celery. Add olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper {just enough for a bit of flavor}. Toss all together and let marinade in refrigerator for at least an hour.

While the crab salad is marinating, rinse your romaine lettuce and dry. Finely chop one heart of lettuce and reserve for stuffing into glasses. The other heart of lettuce should be cut into pieces about 3 inches long. These are used to put on the side of a plate with about half of the crab salad. Those who don't get a glass can just pick up a leaf of lettuce and top it with the crab salad.

Fill four wine glasses (even better is a martini glass) with chopped lettuce. Add a couple of spoonfuls of crab salad and a dollop of remoulade sauce. Garnish the glass with a wedge of lemon. Put the remaining salad into a small, pretty bowl. Place the lettuce leafs on a plate with the bowl of crab salad and some more lemon wedges. Set out with a ramekin of remoulade sauce.

Just a note about the remoulade sauce. I find it in the condiment isle next to Tabasco or Louisiana sauces. I have found some recipes, but they each involve many ingredients so I just buy it. Also, I recommend the Philips crab meat which can be found in the refrigerated seafood section of the grocery. It is kept cold, therefore fresher than other canned crab meat, and it is much easier than shelling crabs.