Simple Crab Salad

It's no secret that I love seafood, especially crab, and I am always looking for new recipes to  get my "fix". Unfortunately, many crab recipes seem to over-do it with extra ingredients that only hide the crab flavor instead of highlighting it. Frustrated, I came up with this super simple crab salad recipe, which is perfect for scooping up with toast as an appetizer, or spooning into split-top buns for a delicious dinner. The mild, sweet crab flavor really shines because there's not a lot of extra "stuff" in it, which makes me happy :o) Another great thing about this crab salad is you can totally customize it to suit your taste - add tarragon, leave out the celery, serve with avocado or tomato slices, and so on.

Because you can really taste the crab, it's important to use high quality, real crab meat (none of that krab stuff) - in certain stores I can find a 1 pound can of jumbo lump crab for around $15, which is a little pricey, but totally worth every penny! Enjoy! :o)

Simple Crab Salad
yield: 6 rolls (entree) or about 24 toasts (appetizer)

Ingredients
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice (about half of a lemon)
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp kosher salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1 pound good quality lump crab meat (gently check for shells)
1 stalk celery, diced
Toasted bread slices or rolls, for serving

Directions:
In a medium bowl whisk together the lemon zest and juice, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Add the crab meat and celery, and gently (carefully! Don't break up the lumps!) fold together. Cover and chill, or spoon into rolls or onto toasts and serve. Yum!