Wanderlust Chef

Recipes:

Crab Toast With Lemon Aioli

This dish is only as good as the crab it’s made with; buy the best you can get.

Ingredients

Lemon Aioli

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 2 Tbsp. (or more) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 cup olive oil

Crab Toast

• 8 oz. lump crabmeat
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fennel
• 1–2 serrano chilies, seeded, finely chopped
• 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt
• 4 ¾”-thick slices country-style sourdough bread (I used wheat)
• Lemon wedges (for serving)

Preparation

Lemon Aioli

• Whisk egg yolk, garlic, lemon zest and juice, mustard, and a large pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in oil, drop by drop at first, until aioli is thickened and smooth; season with salt and more lemon juice, if desired.

Crab Toast

• Toss crabmeat, fennel, 1 chile, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt; add more chile, if desired.
• Drizzle both sides of bread with remaining 4 Tbsp. oil, and working in batches, toast in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Spread each piece of toast with 1 Tbsp. aioli. Top with crabmeat and place a small dab of aioli in center of each piece; serve with lemon wedges. (Extra aioli can be used for dressings or dips.)

Wild Cod with Tomatoes 

• 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 4 skinless black cod (about 4 oz. each)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and let simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 8 minutes.

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Stir the thyme into the sauce. Nestle the fish into the sauce, return to a simmer, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the fish is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the fish to serving dish (I placed mine over sautéed spaghetti squash) and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve.