Guacamole with Fresh Crab and Tart Apple (Yum!)

Fresh Crab and Tangy Apple Guacamole

So, there’s a fantastic restaurant downtown here in Austin called La Condesa… it’s a gorgeous space that specializes in small-bites, interior Mexican cuisine that feels like gourmet street food. Yum! (BTW, if you feel like stepping away from super-strict Paleo for an evening, their Mexican street corn is to die for!)

Anyhoo… the point of this post has to do with one of their specialty guacamoles. They have all manner of fabulous guacamole on the menu… guac with pomegranate, guac with chipotle and almonds, and my favorite, the guac with crab and green apple. I adore this guacamole. So. Stinking. Much.

So, since I’ve been trying to come up with ways to use the gorgeous tubs of fresh lump crab meat from Central Market, it seemed only right that I try to recreate this delicious treat. Following (after the jump) is my version… enjoy!

Guacamole with Fresh Crab and Tart Apple
Quantity: about 2 cups
Time: ~15 minutes of prep
Paleo Grade: A+ (Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, fab combo of protein and good fat!)

• 2 large, ripe Hass avocados
• 1 Granny Smith apple, julienned into 1″ strips
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 small white onion, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1.5 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (or more!) of fresh lump crab meat

1. Prep your ingredients! I’m a huge fan of the mise-en-place (French for “everything in place”) style of cooking.  Get all your ingredients prepped first, and then the actual cooking tends to go very smoothly (and helps you avoid scrambling at the last minute to mince something. Which can be a huge pain in the behind.).
2. Julienne the Granny Smith apple and toss with lemon juice (to avoid browning). Set aside.

   Julienned Apples Ready for the Guac

3. Prep your onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro.

   Texas really has made me a jalapeno-lover. Mmmm.

4. Place your de-seeded and peeled avocados in a large bowl and add lime juice.  Smash liberally. I use a hand-held potato masher to get the great guac texture.
5. Once you’ve mashed to your desired texture, add in the onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, and salt.  Mix well and taste for seasoning (add more salt if needed).
6. For plating, you can go one of two ways… I spooned the guac mixture onto a plate and then added the crab meat and apples for presentation.  If you’re just hungry and ready to eat this stuff, just add the crab and apple directly into the mixture, stir, and serve.

Hope you like it!

Vegetarian? So’s my hubby… he had this last night sans crab meat and loved it!