Event: Dungeness Crab Week

Feeling crabby? On the West Coast our crabs are the Dungeness variety, as opposed to the soft shell crabs or Blue crabs found on the East Coast. They are considered a "best choice" for sustainability according the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. Dine at local restaurants in February and enjoy special crab dishes and tasting menus. Use your Signature Visa card and receive a commemorative cookbook feature over forty prominent chefs and restaurants, including Chris Cosentino of Incanto, Bruce Hill of Bix and Craig Stoll of Delfina.

Dungeness Crab Week is the second of three seasonal city-wide food celebrations to promote San Francisco chefs and restaurants. As a part of the celebration, the 7th annual Crab Cracking Contest at Union Square benefiting the San Francisco 49ers Foundation will be held Saturday, February 28. Union Square chefs paired with San Francisco 49ers and local celebrities will compete in a crab cracking contest. Enjoy tastes of the created crab dishes, a beer and wine garden as well as music and other activities for the entire family.

What: Dungeness Crab Week

When: February 19 - March 1, 2009

Where: Participating San Francisco restaurants include 1300 Fillmore, Bix, Delfina, Ducca and Jardiniere.

How: Make reservations

Enjoy this fresh take on crab, from Mark Dommen, Chef/Partner from One Market Restaurant.

Dungeness Crab and Asian Pear Salad 

Ingredients:
2 Asian pears
10 large fresh mint leaves, plus more small leaves
1 green onion
About 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
Pinch cayenne chili power
1/2 pound Dungeness crab meat
8 large shelled sections Dungeness crab legs
2 French breakfast radishes
2 cups maché, rinsed and drained 
4 tablespoons Straus organic yogurt
1 tablespoon basil oil or mild extra-virgin olive oil
 
Preparation: 
1. Peel pears, core, and julienne fruit on a Japanese mandolin with medium teeth blade.  In a bowl, mix pears with 1 tablespoon each lemon olive oil and juice, cayenne, and sea salt to taste.
 
2. Stack large mint leaves and cut into fine slivers. Finely dice green onion. Mix mint and onion with pears.
 
3.  In another bowl, gently mix crab meat with remaining lemon oil and lemon juice to taste.
 
4. Rinse radishes; cut into a fine julienne and mix with a few drops lemon oil and lemon juice. 
 
5. Spoon 1 tablespoon yogurt onto center of 4 plates, streaking artistically. On each plate, set a ring mold in yogurt. Fill molds equally with pear salad; press to compact evenly. Top equally with crab meat; press to compact evenly. Carefully lift off molds.
 
To serve:
Top each salad with 2 crab leg pieces, garnish with radishes, maché, and tiny mint leaves; drizzle with basil oil.
 
Makes 4 portions