Thursday, March 29, 2012

FFwD: Crab and Grapefruit Salad

Historically, grapefruit is one of my most reviled foods. I just don't like the flavor. It's too sour, and it leaves the raw acid taste in the back of my throat that I always associate with severe heartburn.

In the name of good sportsmanship, I resigned myself to this week's French Fridays with Dorie selection of Crab and Grapefruit Salad (page 134 of Around My French Table), despite the fact that I was sure--SURE--it would be a supreme waste of expensive crab meat. My attitude didn't improve when I told Matt, who likes grapefruit, what I was making, and his response was, "that doesn't sound like it'll work at all."

I was tempted to replace the crab with some much cheaper shrimp, but I remembered the disastrous consequences of meddling with Dorie's Salmon in a Jar recipe, heard Matt's voice pleading, "Next time, just trust Dorie!!", and stopped myself. I stalled on making this all week, and finally, feeling vitamin deficient and like I'm catching Charlie's cold, decided to suck it up and just do it for dinner last night.

I sliced the segments of grapefruit free of their casings, tasted one, and, miracle of miracles! I didn't hate it! In fact, I sort of liked it. I may just really need some extra vitamin C in my diet, but I'm craving another. It's so weird. I'm wondering if, in the past, I scooped bitter pith out with the fruit, and that ruined the fruit for me. I've never dismembered it as Dorie instructs before, so that seems to be the only variable. It's always possible that my tastebuds changed. I hated beer before I had my son, but craved it all during my pregnancy, and love it now. Strange things can happen. Back on point...

Once it was tossed together with the crab meat, orange pepper, jalapeno, cucumber, scallion, mint, and avocado, I could barely notice the grapefruit. Unlike my mother's fruit salad, this mixture didn't seem to be destroyed by its contact with my bitter enemy. This salad was light, refreshing, and so pretty.

I used crab meat that I'd frozen a few weeks ago. I wish I used straight-from-the-Gulf-fresh crab meat, because the meat was tougher this time around than it was when I used the other half a pound originally. In a dish like this, where it isn't being re-cooked, tenderness is key.

Conclusion: Much to my shock, I liked it. I need to go find myself another grapefruit. I have a lifetime of rejection to make up for.

21 comments:

  1. I truly don't understand how anyone can hate grapefruit. It just doesn't seem right :-)
    That being said, I did leave the grapefruit off the salad for my fussy eater who wouldn't touch the stuff with grapefruit in it. I don't know how she's my daughter some days...
    It looks lovely!

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  2. Ooh, kudos for using the avocado. And to have fresh crab meat sounds divine. Glad you enjoyed this one! I was pleasantly surprised myself with the grapefruit.

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  3. Wow, way to trust Dorie! I think that the grapefruit haters should get some sort of award this week for sticking with us. I have always loved grapefruit and never found it to be sour at all, but I was also taught that you have to cut it in a certain way (which just takes a minute once you have sliced it in half) which gets out only the flesh and none of the membrane. Wonder if that's what makes a difference.

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  4. I think the red and pink grapefruits are definitely easier to accept, tastewise. I add tons of simple syrup whenever I juice white ones.

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  5. It's funny how our taste changes over the year and we get to rediscover food we previously dislike. I admire how you're taking on recipes from so many different cookbooks and pushing your own boundaries (cooking and tasting). I think this salad will make a wonderful first course for fancy dinner parties.

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  6. Hooray, so glad you gave it a shot and liked it. Dorie is full of surprises.

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  7. I'm so glad you liked this! And that you liked grapefruit! I'm craving another ruby red myself :) Have an excellent weekend~

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  8. LOL!! :) Glad you loved it in the end! Isn't that the best feeling?? It's so vindicating!

    Alice @ http://acookingmizer.wordpress.com

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  9. I think your salad looks great. Once bay crab is back in season I would like to try it. The recipe has clear components of Floribbean cuisine- which is a super tasty tropical fusion cuisine made popular by top Miami chefs in the late 80s- 90s, relying a lot on diced fruit, citrus, peppers, vegs, seafood and aromatic Asian and Latin vegs, spices and herbs.
    You are also lucky to live in a place that actually has grapefruit groves( I know you disagree about the lucky part ) , but texan "ruby red" grapefruit is really an excellent fruit, bigger than fla. fruit. I personally love grapefruit but it is all about the freshness and sweet juiciness- which varies for sure.

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  10. Congratulations on overcoming your "bitter enemy"! Funny how your food tastes change over life, isn't it? Your salad looks great (and, by the way), it does work with shrimp too.

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  11. I'm surprised by all the grapefruit haters and yet you all made this salad anyway and most liked it OK. I love grapefruit but the idea of pairing it with crab seemed quite a stretch...well, I learned something. It is a delicious salad and I'll try grapefruit in other combinations because of my success with this one.

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  12. Woo hoo! Welcome to the Fan of Grapefruit Club. We're happy you've joined us :)

    This recipe sounds pretty darned delicious. Always trust Dorie :)

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  13. Sometimes it pays to be brave and face your fear of the unknown...Lol! I'm glad you gave the grapefruit a go and even more pleased to know that you ended up liking this salad. I happen to like grapefruit but because I can't get any in the store this week, I subbed it with pomelo instead. That was lovely too :).

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  14. I'm glad you set your aversion aside and tried this. I enjoyed it, but I was ahead of your because I love grapefruit. I really liked how easy it turned out to be. Actually when I think about it, Dorie's recipes are more often easy than complicated. Way to go AMFT!

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  15. Your salad looks beautiful. I am so glad you came to terms with your enemy the grapefruit. I think the pith does make it more bitter. We were so surprised at how delicious and refreshing the salad was. Glad that you enjoyed it.

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  16. Living in Texas as we do; the Rio Star ruby reds that are native here are perfectly delicious. I am so spoiled that I won't hardly eat the other ones! I love your blog & your cookbook immersions- looking forward to cooking some of the Indian recipes as I have the Jaffrey book. Cheers!

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  17. I like grapefruit, so I think my problem with this salad stemmed from the fact that I couldn't taste it! Way to overcome your food fears!!

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  18. Great post! I'm so glad you ended up liking this. Usually I can guess whether I'll like a recipe from just reading it, but it's fun when I'm pleasantly surprised.

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  19. I'm excited to catch up and try this, we love the ingredients and can only imagine that this will be a regular in our house as it fits our temperatures about 75 percent of the year. Glad you gave the grapefruit another try and liked it!

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  20. I don't know how I missed this, but it looks great! Glad you enjoyed it. Have a lovely Easter!

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  21. I think crab and citrus is an excellent match! But I agree, bitter grapefruit is the worst. I always try to buy red grapefruit because it's usually sweeter somehow.

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