Crab Salad with Peaches and Avocados
- 1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
- 1/2 jalapeņo pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- 5 to 6 medium peaches (about 1 3/4 lb.), unpeeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 medium avocados, diced
- Arugula
Pick crabmeat, removing any bits of shell. Whisk together lemon zest, next 2 ingredients, and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Fold in jalapeņo pepper, next 2 ingredients, and crabmeat, using a rubber spatula. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste.
Stir together peaches and remaining 4 Tbsp. lemon juice. Reserve 3 cups peach mixture. Pulse honey and remaining peach mixture in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until smooth. Season pureed peach mixture with kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste.
Layer ingredients on your plates: peach puree, avocado, diced peaches, crab mixture or for a fancier method do the following. Spoon 1/4 cup pureed peach mixture onto a chilled plate. Place a 3 1/2-inch round cutter in center of peach mixture on plate. (A clean, empty tuna can with both ends removed may be used instead.) Spoon one-sixth of diced avocados and 1/2 cup reserved chopped peach mixture into cutter, packing each layer firmly and sprinkling with kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Top with about 1/2 cup crab mixture. Carefully remove cutter from plate. Repeat procedure with remaining pureed peach mixture, avocado, chopped peach mixture, and crab mixture. Arrange desired amount of arugula around each layered salad; serve immediately.
