Crab salad two ways

If I could eat seafood every day with no consequences, I will. When lumped crab meat went on sale at Central Market, I could not pass off this deal. I bought a pint of white crab meat, it doesn’t look like much but it is a lot of meat, granted all the shell has been removed. I am such a seafood fanatic that I usually don’t mind just spooning it out and eat it plain. This time I wanted to try something new.


I remember seeing stuffed avocado in Japanese restaurants (this is by far my favorite one in Austin), so I decided to recreate it at home. It was very simple, and turned out really light and delicious,
just enough kick from the thai chili to make things interesting. The added ingredients brings out the flavor of the meat, and prevent me from eating straight from the tub.

I am this close from thinking I was dining in a fancy restaurant,
only to be awaken by the dishes to be done afterwards

Crab mango stuffed avocado

Ingredients + prep ahead

1/2 lb shelled fresh lumped crab meat

2 avocados, halved with seed removed

2 mangos, diced in small cubes

a handful of cilantro, finely chopped

1 thai chili, thinly sliced (keep loose seeds around)

2 T lime juice

1 t olive oil

1/8 t salt + some pepper

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper and a the loosen thai chili seeds together. Mix well until the oil is well incorporated. Taste to make sure the dressing is the right spiciness. Adjust flavor as needed. If it gets too spicy, add honey to tone down spiciness.
   Protip: after handling chili, wash hands right away. It is not fun rubbing your eyes and doing you-know-what around the nose with burning chili sensation.
2. Add crab meat and mango to dressing. Mix well.
3. Scoop mixture over the bowl area of the halved avocado. Garnish with sliced chili. Serve with a teaspoon. Indulge!

I used half of the crab for the avocado, and half of it for salad the next day. It will take me a while to going back to just eating crab straight from the box.

Mango crab salad

Really they are the exact ingredients I used above. I just didn't have any avocados left. So I up the amount of mango. And make the dressing with more cilantro and punch up the spiciness with extra slices of thai chili. Now brunch like a queen!