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Open-Faced Crab Sandwich

One weekend in Waccabuc, I was looking for something to snack on. I smeared some garlic aïoli on grilled slices of bread and topped it with some crab. It hit the spot, so I decided to turn it into a complete sandwich with a little chile and herbs. This is a great use of fennel fronds, which usually end up in the trash. Dill works just as well, too.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 4

Ingredients

8

ounces picked peekytoe or lump crabmeat, picked over for bits of shell

3

/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh long green (finger) chile

1

/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh fennel fronds or dill leaves

2

tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bread

1

/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1

/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4

large (3/4-inch-thick) slices artisan bread

Garlic Aïoli (page 245)

Lemon wedges, for serving

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the broiler or grill to high.

    Step 2

    Gently stir together the crab, chile, fennel fronds, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

    Step 3

    Drizzle olive oil all over the bread. Broil or grill until browned and crisp, turning to cook evenly.

    Step 4

    Spread 2 tablespoons aïoli on each slice of bread and top with the crab mixture. Carefully cut each sandwich in half and serve with lemon wedges.

Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family. Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.
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