Crab Salad with Fried Green Tomatoes and Celery

Rémoulade

• 1 egg
• 1 anchovy
• 1 teaspoon capers
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups canola oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Fried Green Tomatoes

• Flour as needed
• Buttermilk as needed
• Cornmeal as needed

Salad

• 1 pound jumbo lump crab
• 4 green tomatoes
• 6 celery sticks, shaved with a peeler and placed in ice water

Make the rémoulade: in the bowl of a food processor, add the egg, anchovy, capers, and garlic. Pulse until combined. Add the vinegar and blend until frothy. While the machine is running, slowly drizzle the canola oil into the mixture, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer the finished rémoulade to a bowl and stir in the herbs. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Refrigerate until needed.

Make the fried green tomatoes: core the green tomatoes with a small pairing knife. Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices and lay flat on paper towels. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Take 3 pie pans and fill one with flour, one with buttermilk, and one with a mixture of cornmeal and flour. Take a tomato slice and coat it first in flour, then in the buttermilk, and finally in the flour-cornmeal mixture, shaking off any excess coating after each step. Place on the parchment paper–lined sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining tomato slices.

Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add a half inch of canola oil to the pan. When the oil is hot and appears to shimmer, carefully add 4 to 5 tomatoes. When they begin to brown, flip with a spatula and cook on the other side until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried tomatoes to fresh paper towels and let drain. Repeat with the remaining tomato slices.

Make the crab salad: in a large bowl, combine the crab with some of the rémoulade until it’s creamy enough to your liking.  

To serve: divide the fried green tomatoes among 4 plates. Top with a generous amount of the crab salad. Drain the celery from the ice water and pat dry. Top each plate with celery and drizzle the salad with more rémoulade.