Wild Alaskan Crab Gazpacho and Cucumber Mignonette

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs whole Roma tomatoes
• 1/1/2 lbs watermelon
• 3 small jalapeños
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ lime
• 1 lb picked Wild Alaskan Crab
• 1 avocado
• 1/3 cucumber
• 1 medium shallot
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay
• Salt
• Olive oil

 Instructions:

1. On a stove-top burner, char 2 jalapeños and the red bell peppers until the skin turns dark. You can also set your oven to broil and set them on a baking sheet on the top rack. Make sure to rotate the peppers to get an even char.
2. Peel the peppers and add the peppers, watermelon, garlic, juice of ½ lime and a pinch of salt to the blender. Blend on high until puréed and then strain with a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or container.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large bowl add ice about halfway full. Once the water has boiled, blanch each tomato for about 10-15 seconds and then put into the ice bath immediately.
4. Peel each tomato, add to a blender and purée. Once smooth, strain with a fine mesh strainer into the container containing the watermelon-pepper liquid.
5. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and Old Bay in the apple cider vinegar.
6. Dice 1/3 cucumber, shallot, and 1 jalapeño very small. Add to the small bowl with the sugar vinegar mixture
7. Cube the avocado to a similar size of the picked crab and toss with a little olive oil and Old Bay.
8. To plate, place the crab mixture into the center of a bowl. Pour the watermelon-tomato liquid to the bowl around the crab. Spoon a few spoonfuls of the cucumber mignonette into the liquid. Season to taste with lime and Old Bay.