Pistachio Soup with Crab
Chris created this dish for America's Culinary Cup 1. A velvety Persian pistachio soup is poured tableside over lightly warmed Dungeness crab in a saffron beurre blanc, with barberry, pickled shallot and fennel layering the bright Persian acidity the judges praised. The soup, crab and acid earned unreserved praise. This is a Fix-It version: the saffron rice crisp the judges found superfluous and over-dried is made optional, with a lighter method for anyone who keeps it.
- Time: 105 min
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- FOR THE PERSIAN PISTACHIO SOUP
- shelled raw unsalted pistachios, a few reserved for garnish
- unsalted butter
- medium leek, white and pale green only, sliced and washed well
- light chicken or vegetable stock
- saffron threads, bloomed in 1 tbsp warm water
- lime juice, plus more to taste
- sour orange
- ground cardamom
- salt, to taste
- FOR THE SAFFRON BEURRE BLANC
- dry white wine
- white wine vinegar
- small shallot, finely minced
- saffron threads, bloomed with the reduction
- heavy cream
- cold unsalted butter, cubed, kept very cold
- FOR THE ACID GARNISHES
- dried barberries , rinsed
- butter, for the barberries
- sugar, for the barberries
- rice or white wine vinegar, for the pickle
- sugar, for the pickle
- small shallot, thinly sliced
- small fennel bulb, shaved paper-thin on a mandoline
- FOR THE DUNGENESS CRAB
- cooked Dungeness crab meat, picked over, lump if possible
- lemon zest
- FOR THE SAFFRON RICE CRISP
- cooked short-grain rice, day-old and cooled
- melted butter
- neutral oil
- salt