Rice Salad | Alaskan Harvest Seafood Blog

Spring Crab Salad with Rice

This is a light and beautiful dish, perfect for springtime brunches or those first outdoor meals of the season. If you don’t have access to good crab, try substituting shrimp or salmon. Even smoked salmon can be a delicious alternative to the sweetness of crab.

You will need:

1/4 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch spears
1/4 lb. snow peas, rinsed and chopped in half (green peas will work - discard the pods or use the frozen, bagged variety)
2 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 c cooked rice - I like to use leftover rice for salads, but freshly steamed will work just as well
1 plump ripe slicing tomato, or two roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced parsley
3/4 lb. crab meat, precooked (or steamed directly before assembling the salad)
sprigs of basil, chives, and tarragon for garnish
1/4 c olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp minced thyme, chives, and basil
salt and pepper

1. Combine the last four ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them together to make the dressing.

2. Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water on hand for blanching. Add the asparagus to the pot once it boils, and cook for one minute, or until the color brightens and they are soft but still have some crunch to them. Remove with a slotted spoon and dunk in the ice bath.

3. Repeat with the peas and carrots, cooking each just until tender but still crunchy. Drain the cooled vegetables well.

4. Mix together the rice, cooked vegetables, tomato, parsley, and crab. Drizzle with the dressing and stir gently to combine. Serve on chilled plates with herbs for garnish.

Optional add-ins: very thinly sliced raw celery, water chestnuts, chunked hard-boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, and chopped scallions.

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Rice Salad with Alaskan Dungeness Crab and Asparagus

Filed under: Dungeness Crab Recipes, Seafood Recipes — Tags: Alaskan Dungeness Crab, Alaskan Dungeness Crab recipe, asparagus, Crab and Asparagus, Rice Salad, Rice salad and asparagus, Rice Salad with Dungeness Crab, rice sald with alaskan dungeness crab and asparagus —

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup long-grain white rice or 3 cups leftover steamed white rice
• 6 oz asparagus spears, trimmed (halved lengthwise if quite thick) and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup peas (freshly shelled or frozen)
• 8 oz Alaskan Dungeness crab, picked for shells
• 2 tablespoons minced basil
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• basil and/or parsley sprigs, for garnish
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation Instructions

1. If starting with uncooked rice, combine the water and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Stir in the rice, cover the pan, and cook over low heat until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed, (18 to 20 minutes).
3. Take the pan from the heat, fluff the rice with a fork, and set aside to cool completely, stirring occasionally.
4. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and fill a medium bowl with ice water.
5. Add the asparagus pieces to the boiling water and blanch until bright green and just barely tender, (2 to 3 minutes).
6. Scoop out the asparagus with a slotted spoon and put it in the ice water to cool.
7. Return the water to a boil, add the peas, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Drain the peas, add them to the ice water, and let cool completely.
9. Drain the vegetables and scatter them on paper towels to dry.
10. Put the cooled rice in a large bowl. Add the crab to the rice with the asparagus, peas, basil, and parsley.
11. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste.
12. Whisk to blend, and then pour the dressing over the salad, stirring gently to mix evenly.
13. Garnish with the herb sprigs and serve.