Name: C Food & Moods KING CRAB Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1.5 cups fresh king crab meat (picked, lump); 3 tbs Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie preferred); 1 tbs plain Greek yogurt; 1 tsp fresh lime juice; 1 tbs finely chopped chives; 1 tsp fine sea salt; 0.25 tsp freshly ground white pepper; 3 cups chicken stock (low-sodium); 2 pieces dried shiitake mushroom; 1 tbs mirin; 1 tsp light soy sauce; 1 tbs fresh ginger (smashed); 1 unit egg white (for clarification); 1 tbs finely chopped scallion (white); 0.5 tsp fine sea salt; 3 tsp tobiko (flying fish roe); 1 tsp yuzu juice; 0.5 tsp yuzu zest (finely grated); 0.5 tsp neutral oil (light olive or grapeseed); 6 unit microgreens or shiso leaf (for plating); 0.5 tsp extra virgin olive oil (for drizzle); 2 unit fresh lime or yuzu wedges; 0.5 tsp toasted sesame seeds (white)

Method

King Crab Salad

Prepare crab

If using chilled cooked king crab legs, remove all shell and pick large lumps of meat. Pat dry with paper towels and refrigerate until assembly.

Dress crab

In a chilled bowl, combine Japanese mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime juice, chopped chives, sea salt, and white pepper. Stir until smooth. Gently fold in the king crab meat, taking care to keep lumps intact. Taste and adjust seasoning — add up to another 0.5 tsp salt or additional lime if desired. Cover and refrigerate while you make the consommé (15–20 minutes) to let flavors marry.

Consommé (Clear Broth)

Soak mushrooms & combine stock

Place dried shiitake mushrooms in 1/2 cup warm water to rehydrate for 15 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken stock, mirin, soy sauce, smashed ginger, and rehydrated shiitake plus their soaking liquid (leave any grit behind). Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Clarify with egg white (quick raft)

Whisk the egg white lightly in a small bowl. Reduce heat so the stock is barely simmering. Slowly pour the egg white into the simmering stock in a thin stream, stirring gently just to distribute. The egg white will coagulate and rise, trapping particulates. Simmer gently for 6–8 minutes without boiling.

Strain and finish

Carefully ladle the broth through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter into a clean pot or bowl, taking care not to disturb the egg raft. Discard solids. Taste the clear consommé and season with 1/2 tsp salt if needed and a small pinch of white pepper. Keep warm (do not boil) until plating.

Tobiko Yuzu Garnish

In a small bowl, gently combine the tobiko, yuzu juice, yuzu zest, and neutral oil. Stir to coat the roe; do not overwork. Taste and adjust with a tiny pinch of salt if desired. Keep chilled until assembly.

Assembly & Finish

Plate crab

Spoon a generous tablespoon (about 2–3 tbs) of the dressed king crab into the center of each shallow appetizer bowl or onto small chilled plates, forming a neat mound. Leave center slightly hollow to receive a small amount of consommé if desired.

Add consommé

If serving the crab with consommé, ladle 1/3 cup (approximately 80 ml) of warm consommé around the crab mound so the meat remains mostly dry but the bowl has a clear broth presence. Alternatively, serve consommé poured tableside.

Garnish

Top each crab mound with about 1/2 tsp of the tobiko-yuzu mixture. Sprinkle a few toasted sesame seeds over the plate, place microgreens or a shiso leaf alongside the crab, and finish with a very light drizzle (approx. 1/8 tsp) of extra virgin olive oil and a tiny squeeze of lime or yuzu wedge for brightness.

Serve

Serve immediately while consommé is warm and tobiko is chilled, so the contrast of temperatures and textures is preserved.

King Crab Recipe