In NJ, where I live, Diners are a way of life and there is one on every major corner. And they all have a club sandwich or a variety of them. Well, this is a next level version of that idea. Buttery toasted brioche bread, lemon scented fresh crab salad, crispy bacon and ripe tomatoes. And instead of the standard fries or side salad I bring you a quick and easy crab and avocado salad with a punch of flavor and color from some quick pickled red onions. One can of crab and 2 dishes for 4. For this recipe I used our Super Lump crabmeat (aka broken jumbo lump), however, any grade will work for these recipes. It’s not just for crab cakes!
- Prep Time: 30m
- Cook Time: 30m
- Total Time: 1h
Ingredients
- For the Sandwich
- 8 ounces Super Lump Crabmeat
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise (+ optional 2 Tbs)
- 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- 1 tablespoon Chives, minced
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- 12 Slices of Bacon, cooked
- 12 Slices of Bread, toasted
- 2 cups Mixed Greens or other lettuce
- 2 Medium Sized Tomatoes, sliced into 16 slices
- For the Pickled Red Onions
- 1 Small Red Onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Grenadine
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- For the Avocado Salad
- 8 ounces Super Lump Crabmeat
- 1 Lime Zested and Juiced
- 2 tablespoons EVOO
- 1 Medium Sized Tomato, diced
- 2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
- 2 Ripe Avocados
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- For the Pickled Red Onion
- In a small microwave safe bowl add the vinegar, grenadine and salt. Microwave on high until vinegar is boiling and sugar and salt have melted, about 1 minute. Add the sliced onion and allow to cool, cover to hold under refrigeration. They can be used after 30 minutes but are better with 4 hours to overnight.
- For the Sandwich
- In a medium bowl add the ¼ Cup of mayonnaise and lemon zest and juice. Whisk to combine, add the crab and chives and gently fold to combine using a rubber spatula, being careful not to break up the piece of crab. Season with salt and pepper. Place equal portions of the crab salad onto 4 slices of the toasted bread, top with another slice of bread. Optional, spread mayonnaise on one side of each of the additional 4 slices of bread. Top with lettuce, 3 slices of bacon and the tomatoes (I like to season the tomatoes with a little salt and pepper). Put the sandwiches together and cut before serving.
- For the Avocado Salad
- In a medium bowl, add the EVOO, lemon juice and zest, whisk to combine and season with salt and pepper. Add the crab, the diced tomato, cilantro and 3 Tbs of the pickled red onions (diced). Fold together using a rubber spatula. Cut the avocado in half and remove the seed and peel. To serve you can simply scoop equal portions of the crab salad into the avocado halves or cut the avocado into slices and decorate your serving plates (or I used a small ring mold as a cutter to make small cups from the center of the avocado halves and then sliced the remaining parts and made a crab).