A Goa Chef’ shares his recipe for a Waldorf-inspired crab salad with an Italian twist

Blue Swimmer Crab salad by Chef De Cuisine Vetri Selvan 

Italian culture bursts with flavour especially when it comes to food and life. Known for its simplicity and robustness, Italian cuisine has gained popularity around the globe. The virtues of Italian food are rightly attributed to the high-quality ingredients that make up the majority of dishes, rather than the complexity of preparation.

Riverside, an Italian restaurant by the River Sal at The St. Regis Goa Resort serves a plethora of innovative Italian dishes by Chef De Cuisine Vetri Selvan. He mentions that the concept for the Blue Swimmer Crab salad is drawn from the classic Waldorf salad, which is traditionally made with apples, celery and walnuts. The addition of apple jelly adds a sweet and sour element to the Blue Swimmer Crab salad, creating a balanced flavour. The jelly also helps bind the ingredients together, giving the salad its unique texture.

Serves: 1

Cooking time: 25  minutes

Ingredients

Blue Swimmer Crab                   – 50 gm

Green apple diced                     – 20 gm

Celery diced                                – 1 gm

Avocado diced                            – 20 gm

Lemon juice                                 – 10 ml

Japanese Mayonnaise               – 40 gm

Sour cream                                  – 20

Chopped parsley                         – gm

Salt                                                -to taste

Green apple jelly

Green apple juice                       – 100 ml

Salt                                                 -to taste

Lemon juice                                  – 5 ml

Agar agar                                       – 1 gm

Garnish

Radish sliced                                  – 10 gm

Green apple juliennes                 – 10 gm

Microgreens                                  – 5 gm

Method:

Mix the cooked crab meat, lemon juice, avocado, green apple, celery, sour cream, mayonnaise, and parsley. Adjust the seasoning.

Mix agar agar with green apple juice, salt, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and pour the mixture into a plate and keep it in the fridge until it sets. Take it out from the fridge and cut with a round cutter. Place it in the centre of the plate. On the top, place a round mould and fill it with the crab salad. Garnish it with radish slices, green apple juliennes, tuile, and microgreens.