Croustillant of Dungeness Crab Recipe from GourmetFoodPlaza.com

Gourmet Food Plaza

Croustillant of Dungeness Crab.....you'll find more recipes like this in our Recipe pages

Croustillant of Dungeness Crab
The crab meat is accented by fennel, which shows up as a bed for the croustillant, in the crab mixture at the center of the croustillant, and as a garnish. The crab balls are coated with spiky broken pasta or shredded phyllo before being sautéed. The chutney uses a Northwest specialty, marionberries, but you may substitute blackberries or boysenberries, fresh or frozen.
Serves 4
	*Marionberry Chutney*
3 oz	peanut oil
1/4 tbsp	mustard seed
1/4 tbsp	cumin seed
1½ cups	marionberries (substitute: blackberries, boysenberries)
pinch	turmeric
-	salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

	Sautéed Fennel
2 tbsp	clarified butter (see Basics) or olive oil
1	fennel bulb, cut in small dice
1 tbsp	chopped fennel leaves
-	salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp	balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp	Pernod

	Croustillants
4 oz	goat cheese (about 1 cup), softened
8 oz	Dungeness crab meat
2 - 3 dashes	Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1 tbsp	chopped fennel leaves
4 oz	ultrafine vermicelli, capellini or shredded phyllo (kataifi)
3 oz	clarified butter

	*Garnish*
2 tbsp	salmon caviar
2 tbsp	chopped fennel

	To Make the Chutney
-	Heat the oil in a medium skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the mustard and cumin seeds.
-	Toast until they start to pop, about 30 seconds.
-	Add the berries and any berry juice and the turmeric.
-	Reduce the heat to medium and season with salt and pepper.
-	Cook until the juice is syrupy.
-	Remove from heat and set aside in the pan.

	To Sauté the Fennel
-	Heat the butter or oil in a medium skillet over medium heat add the fennel dice and fennel leaves.
-	Season with salt and pepper.
-	Sauté until the fennel dice is slightly softened, then add the Pernod and vinegar.
-	Toss to coat.
-	Remove from the heat and set aside.

	To Prepare the Croustillants
-	Preheat the oven to 400 F.
-	Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-	Warm the softened goat cheese slightly and gently mix in the crab meat.
-	Add the Tabasco and fennel leaves.
-	If using pasta, break it up into short pieces.
-	Divide the crab mix into quarters and roll each into a ball by hand.
-	Roll in the broken pasta or phyllo until coated.
-	Place on the baking sheet.
-	Repeat with remaining crab mix.
-	Spoon melted butter over each and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

	To Serve
-	Divide the sautéed fennel among the plates and spread in the center of each plate.
-	Place a croustillant on each.
-	Place four small spoonfuls of chutney around each croustillant and four small spoonfuls of caviar between the chutney on each plate.
-	Sprinkle each dish with chopped fennel.

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