Yield: 2 Appetizer Servings

Ingredients:

• 5-6 ounces fresh Maine crabmeat (picked of any shells)
• 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 pinch of fresh thyme
• 1 pinch of fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon minced shallots
• 1 ripe avocado, puréed with a few drops of lime juice
• 1 ripe plum tomato, diced
• ½ English cucumber, diced
• 1 teaspoon red onion, diced
• Micro greens for garnish
• Olive oil
• Sherry vinegar
• 1 confit tomato (see recipe below)
• Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

Method:
To make the crab: In a small mixing bowl, combine the crab, mayonnaise, lemon juice, thyme, cilantro and shallot. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar to taste. Reserve.

To make the avocado: Simply purée the avocado with some lime juice and a few drops of olive oil until smooth. Then, season to taste with salt. Reserve.

For the tomato and cucumber salad: In a small mixing bowl combine the tomato, cucumber, red onion, salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil and a drop of sherry vinegar. Reserve.

To make the confit tomato: Cut a plum tomato in half and season lightly with a pinch each of salt and sugar. In a small pot, cover the tomato with olive oil. Cook over very low heat (approximately 150ºF-there should be no bubbles appearing in the oil) until tender.

To make the vinaigrette: Finely chop the confit tomato until almost smooth. Add about 4 ounces of the olive oil that the tomato was poached in, 1-2 ounces of sherry vinegar, a pinch of chopped shallots, a pinch each of thyme, salt, pepper, and sugar. Whisk together and reserve.

To Plate: Place a 3-inch ring mold in the center of a dinner plate. Spoon some of the tomato-cucumber salad into the ring mold (about a 1/3 of the way up). Add the crab meat until the ring mold is 7/8 full. With an offset spatula or knife, spread the avocado onto the crab and scrap the top to make a clean, smooth top. Remove the ring mold and garnish the top with some of the micro greens. Spoon the vinaigrette around the outside of the tart and serve