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Avocado Crab Roll with Soy Sauce “Caviar”

Avocado Crab Roll with Soy Sauce “Caviar”

Recipe from Executive Chef Nick Weber, Catal Restaurant & Uva Bar

Makes 4 servings (as an appetizer)

For the Soy Sauce “Caviar”:
1 1/2 quarts vegetable oil
8 ounces soy sauce
1 teaspoon agar agar

For the Avocado Crab Roll:
4 ounces fresh Dungeness crab meat
1 large ripe avocado
1 tablespoon lemon oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
Cilantro, to garnish
Coarse sea salt, to garnish
Soy sauce “caviar,” to garnish (recipe below)

Make the “Caviar”:
1. Pour the vegetable oil in a tall container and place in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours (or overnight) so it is below 40 degrees.

2. Whisk the agar agar into the soy sauce in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and let the soy sauce mixture cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then pour into a squeeze bottle.

3. Remove the oil from the refrigerator and drizzle the soy mixture into the oil. When the soy hits the oil it will bead into “caviar” and the agar agar will solidify. Let the soy caviar sit in the oil for 10 minutes, and then gently strain it out.

4. Gently rinse the soy caviar in ice cold water, then set aside in the refrigerator.

Make the Avocado Crab Roll:
1. Toss the crab meat with the lemon oil and chives.

2. Slice the avocado in half, pit, and thinly slice horizontally. Place half of the avocado slices on a small piece of parchment paper (approximately 4 x 4 inches), fanning the pieces into a long strip. Pull the sides of the parchment paper up, causing the avocado slices to bend, creating a channel down the middle. Place half of the crab mixture in the channel. use the parchment paper to gently pull the avocado around the crab into a tighter cylinder. Repeat with the other half of avocado and crab.

3. Place the two avocado rolls on a plate, avocado side up, and drizzle with a bit of lemon oil. Season with the sea salt and garnish with a spoon of soy sauce caviar on each roll. Place sprigs of cilantro on the plate. Serve.