King Crab with Hallabong Sauce

Preparation:

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 25 minutes

serves 1

Ingredients:

-2 crab stick (thick), sliced in half

-1 slice of brioche toast (about 1/2 inch thick)

-butter, for toast

-1/4 cup napa cabbage (green cabbage), chopped

-4 garlic cloves, diced

-salt and pepper, to taste

Hallabong béarnaise sauce

-2 tbsp white wine vinegar

-2 tbsp minced shallots

-3 sprigs tarragon, leaves stripped and roughly chopped

-2 egg yolks

-juice of one hallabong (tangerine, mandarins, or navel oranges)

-1 tbsp vegetable oil

-1/8 tsp salt

-2 tbsp butter, at room temperature

Directions:

1. Place the white wine vinegar, minced shallot, and half the chopped tarragon in a saucepan. Heat this on a medium-low flame for 5 minutes, until the shallots are translucent, and the liquid has reduced by about half. Strain out the solids, replace the concentrated liquid back into the saucepan, and let it cool to room temperature.

2. Add the egg yolks, 3-4 tablespoons of the hallabong (or orange) juice, vegetable oil, and salt into the saucepan with the vinegar, and heat over a medium-low flame while whisking vigorously. The goal here is to whisk the eggs to a fluffy, custard-like consistency, which should take around 3-5 minutes. Once you see it start to stream, be extra-vigilant: if you overcook the sauce, it'll turn into scrambled eggs. Remove the pan from the heat, if needed, to better control the temperature. When the sauce thickens and reaches the desired consistency, add in the butter and the rest of the chopped tarragon, and whisk until the butter dissolves. Taste and add more hallabong juice, if needed, until you get the appropriate taste, adding only a tablespoon at a time.

Make the dish:

1. In a pan on medium-high heat, add about 1 tbsp of oil and let it heat. Add the garlic and roast, being careful not to burn it. You want it to reach a golden color, for about 1-2 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside. Using the same oil you used for the garlic, add your cabbage, and sauté until cooked. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set the cabbage aside.

2. Add a bit of oil and seared crab sticks using a clean pan. You don't want them charred or burned, just lightly seared on all sides, for about 1 minute per side. Carefully remove the crab and set it aside until plating.

3. Butter the brioche on both sides and toast. You can use the oven, a toaster, or a pan for this. When toasted, you will need to cut this gently in half.

Assemble the dish:

1. On a plate, start by adding the cabbage, garlic, and half the brioche toast. Top with the crab sticks. Make sure to take your time and be gentle, as all the ingredients can topple over.

2. Scoop up some of the sauce and drizzle on top of the plated dish. You can top this off with a piece of fried cabbage or parsley. Enjoy!