I made a gluten-free appetizer for the dinner party. I decided to try it out on my guests at my POM party last month. I made a simple avocado, pomegranate, and crab salad that I served in crisp endive leaves. I topped the salad with a creamy tangy pomegranate sauce and a bit of lemon zest. This appetizer was probably the most popular dish of the night. It was beautiful and packed full of flavor. It was a big hit on my end as well because it was quick and easy to make, taking some of the pressure off of me as I was worrying about so many other dishes.
I made the sauce the day before. The sauce takes about 10 minutes to make. You combine the ingredients in a double boiler and stir them constantly until the sauce thickens into a thin-mayonnaise consistency. Then you force the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to catch any possible lumps, and let it cool.
Before the party, all I had to do was chop up the avocados and mix them with crab meat and pomegranate arils, then fill endive leaves with the mixture, and spoon a bit of the prepared sauce over the salad and finish them off with a bit of lemon zest.
The sweet crab meat tastes delicious with the creamy avocado and tangy sweet burst of flavor from the pomegranate arils. The sauce adds a bit of creamy tang and the lemon zest finishes everything off with a bit of citrusy sunshine. The endive leaves provide a perfect way to get the salad from your plate to mouth, adding a pleasant, slightly bitter crunch.
Print This Recipe
Endive Boats with Avocado, Pomegranate, & Crab Salad
Makes approximately 30 boats
Recipe Note: For those who want to make sure this appetizer is gluten-free, make sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari. You could also substitute Bragg Fluid Aminos if you can’t find a gluten-free soy sauce.
For the Pomegranate Sauce:
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup dashi (or vegetable stock)
4 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons pomegranate juice concentrate
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 medium, ripe avocados cut into 1/4-inch cubes
6 ounces cooked crab meat
3/4 cup pomegranate arils
2 large heads Belgian endive
Finely grated lemon zest, to garnish
1. Make the Pomegranate Sauce: Combine the pomegranate sauce ingredients in a double boiler, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and becomes the consistency of thin mayonnaise. Force the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve and let it cool. Refrigerate sauce until ready to use.
2. Make the boats: Pick through the crab to remove any cartilage or shell that may be present. Combine the crab meat, avocado, and pomegranate arils in a bowl and mix gently. Separate the endive leaves. Spoon a small amount of the salad into each endive leaf. Drizzle the pomegranate sauce over the salad, garnish with lemon zest, and serve.
Appetizers from other dinner party bloggers:
- Cat of Neo-Homesteading — Potato, Bacon & Onion Pizza
- Debra of Smith Bites — Dates Stuffed With Parmesan Slivers & Walnuts
- Elaine of The Italian Dish — Parmesan Gougeres
- Lori of Recipe Girl — Sundried Tomato Polenta Bites
- Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod — Cranberry Orange Brie Crostini
- Marla of Family Fresh Cooking — Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms
- Mary of Giving Up on Perfect — Tortilla Rolls and Seven Layer Dip
- Wenderly — Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Great appetizer and cause! This one is so pretty for the holidays too!
Oh my gosh, totally making this for a get together coming up! Delicious and genius!
Looks delicious!!
endive is one of those things that i love but always forget about! this sounds like the best gluten-free appetizer :)
omg. i want this again so badly. you are killing me!!!!
Rachael, your endive boats look delish. I am so happy that we are able to participate in this charity event together :) xo
That looks absolutely amazing! I can just imagine all those different flavors and textures together–yum. Ohisashiburi desu ne!
This just went on my Christmas Eve dinner plan.
what i think is absolutely perfect about this appetizer Rachael, is that everything is spooned into an endive which is both plate and utensil; and can we talk about the colors, texture and flavor?? would love to serve these at a party!!
I love avocado and crab and you have now gotten me hooked on pomegranate. This combination looks like a match made in food heaven.
Gluten-Free Appetizer it what I love best! so yummy and healthy! :)
Pom party? What a great idea! Your creation looks amazing, delicious, and a beautiful sight for the eyes. Isn’t this a remarkable event that we’re a part of?
this looks yummy, Rachel. Happy holidays to you and your family!!
That looks divine – and I love that you don’t need silverware to eat it! Thanks for joining our SOS efforts for kids :-)
I am so going to make this and take some to my friends office. She recently found out she is gluten intolerant. This should be a great surprise for her.
Colorful, tasty, easy to eat and quick to prep – what more could a cook ask? I give occasional cooking lessons to some young friends (flight attendants) and this appetizer will be featured in our next session.
Thanks so much for sharing all with the awesome info! I am looking forward to checking out far more posts! faddadfggbbg
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