Check out this salad, which we prepared for our recent pairing demonstration at the annual Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival in Port Angeles. Read our post on pairing wine with this dish and try the exercise at home!

Dungeness crab salad with preserved lemon vinaigrette
.
1# picked Dungeness crab meat
½ bunch parsley – leaves picked and left whole
2 shallots – minced
¼ bunch thyme – leaves picked and left whole
.
for the vinaigrette
.
½  of a preserved lemon – free of seeds but otherwise intact
1 tblsp Dijon mustard
½ shallot
½ C champagne vinegar
1 ½ C olive oil
.
In a food processor add the lemon, mustard, shallot and vinegar. puree until smooth, about a minute. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify, tasting along the way. the vinaigrette should be tangy, depending on your preserved lemon you might need to adjust the amount of oil. Season with salt and pepper.
.
This salad is very simple and it’s focus is to highlight the sweet and briny crab meat while adding some contrasting fresh herbaceous flavors. The preserved lemon vinaigrette provides some savory zing and complexity.

.

To  serve: mix the crab, herbs and shallots in a bowl and season with the vinaigrette. You can also add some delicate lettuces such as mâche or micro greens to make your crab crawl further.