Well now. I knew from the get-go that I wouldn’t be able to follow the directions for this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe (crab and avocado “ravioli”, p 185). It’s an odd recipe to start with – calling for very finely sliced avocado using a mandoline (which I don’t have and even if I did I think I would be too scared to use it) to slice through the entire avocado, pit and all. Then, as a substitute for pasta you are supposed to wrap these thin slices around a crab filling to form a sort of “ravioli”. Right then. I kinda sorta get it but what stumped me further was the fact that there was no picture in the book (I am very visual when I cook and bake and like to have some kind of idea in my head of what things are supposed to look like) and I just couldn’t figure out how to make this (look good) sans mandoline. So guess what? I made a salad đ It was a good salad – loved the flavours with shallots, cilantro and citrus zest and juice. I’ll probably make it again. But honestly, I’d prefer to make crab cakes with all that (rather expensive) crab meat…
Get the recipe for Dorie Greenspan’s crab-avocado “ravioli”here.
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I like your crab salad đ There was no mandoline slicing in my house either…
(and yes, I would have preferred crab cakes too)
I needed the visual, too…as I realized I may have sliced the avocado the wrong way AFTER I was finished. I think I’d eat any version of this delicious combo!
Well this was lovely nonetheless – hard to go wrong with great crab and fresh avocado, amongst other ingredients.
Perfect for our outside patio gathering, paired with a local bottle of rose….
How funny, Mardi – our photos are practically identical! Great minds. Have a wonderful weekend!
Your salad looks delicious! I ended up with a few little “ravioli”, but then punted and turned the rest of the ingredients into mini-tostadas. All that said, difficult to go wrong with a nice avocado and crab!!! Glad that you enjoyed yours.
Miam miam miam! Definitely trying that soon.
Your salad looks beautiful. That’s how I imagined my salad would turn out, except that all my ingredients were cruddy quality, so mine was gross. Oh well. Yours looks great, even if you’d have preferred crab cakes. Man, now I want crab cakes.
Your salad looks delicious – I’m not sure the “ravioli” are worth the trouble, really. I managed to cut mine out with a knife, but that meant the avocado I used wasn’t quite as ripe as I’d have liked.
Your salad looks perfect – a very sensible, tasty alternative using the same ingredients.
Mardi, salad is always good. But it is even better when you have all these lovely components like crab meat and avocado to create a wonderful salad like the one you made. It looks delicious and, yes, it is a great alternative to the “ravioli effect”.
Have a nice Sunday!
I’m usually pretty good about going my own route with a recipe… I have know idea why I followed the recipe this time. I guess the word ravioli transfixed me. Your salad looks lovely and I will make it your way.
Maybe you couldn’t find a picture (nor could I) but your photo of what you actually did make looks very appetizing. I agree, crab is too expensive to not serve in the best of ways. I do hope that when you go to Paris, you will chase this ravioli-thing down and send an Instagram to us. Like everyone else, I’ve never seen this dish in France.,
I’m so with you, cookbooks should be required to provide at least one picture per recipe!
I took inspiration from your comments on the P&Q post. I skipped the slicing and just made a salad too. I thought it was a nice lunch, but you’re right, crabcakes would be better. (I’m a Maryland girl, so I have to think that.)