Behind the Recipes
Chilled Watermelon Soup with Crab Salad by Chef Marc Forgione
Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp. minced shallot
1/2 jalapeno pepper, sliced
4 cups watermelon juice, divided
4 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. wildflower honey
Kosher salt to taste
Jumbo Lump Crab Salad:
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 cup diced watermelon
2 tbsp. roughly chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. roughly chopped lemon verbena
1 tbsp. roughly chopped mint
1 tbsp. toasted and crushed coriander seeds
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. lime juice
Kosher salt to taste
Garnish:
Micro-cilantro
Fleur de sel
PREPARATION:
1. For the watermelon soup, place a medium saucepan over low heat and add the olive oil. Add the ginger, shallots, and jalapeno pepper and stir constantly until they are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add half of the watermelon juice and increase the heat to high. When the juice begins to boil, immediately remove from heat and combine it with the other half of the watermelon juice in a separate bowl.
2. Puree the mixture in a blender in batches for 10 seconds per batch. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the soup into a bowl that is sitting in a bowl of ice. Season the soup with the rice wine vinegar, sugar, honey, and kosher salt, adding the minimum amounts-- how much you will need will depend on the sweetness of the watermelon juice. Taste and adjust if needed. Chill for about 1 hour.
3. For the crab salad, pick through the crabmeat for shells and bones. In a large bowl, combine the crab, jalapeno pepper, watermelon, cilantro, lemon verbena, mint, coriander seeds, olive oil, and lime juice. Season with kosher salt to taste. Chill until ready to use.
4. Divide the salad among 6 chilled bowls and pour a generous half cup (about 5 ounces) of the soup into each bowl around the crab. Top with micro-cilantro and fleur de sel.
Recipe Credit: The James Beard Foundation
Photo Credit: Krishna Dayanidhi
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