Calypso Crab Louie Wraps

Well now…this is unexpected. A lettuce leaf pretending to be a plate. Clever. Economical. Very pirate-minded. Lump blue crab…ahhh, treasure from the sea. Fine choice. Delicate, sweet…considerably more cooperative than most things pulled from the ocean. And this sauce…smoky, spicy, creamy…has a bit o’ danger to it. Like sailing through a storm while slightly drunk. Cucumbers, radishes, scallions… crisp little fellows, aren’t they? Keep the whole affair fresh and lively. Then asparagus and tomatoes stroll in actin’ sophisticated. Mmm! That is remarkably good. The crab’s rich, the dressing bites back, the vegetables crunch like ship timbers in rough waters…and the lettuce keeps the whole thing from sinkin’ under its own weight. This, savvy, is the sort of food one eats when pretending to be respectable…I’ll take six.

Ingredients

for eight wraps

1 lb lump crab meat
2 tbs olive oil (plus 1 tsp more)
1 lemon
3 eggs
10 asparagus stalks
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 mini cucumbers
4 radishes
2 scallions
4-5 chives
2 tbs mayonnaise
1/2 avocado
1 tsp ketchup
1 tsb chili powder
1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp Calabrian chili paste
2 cornichon pickles
1 clove garlic
8 large bib lettuce leaves

Directions

Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the tops of the asparagus, remove the woody ends of the asparagus, and thinly slice the asparagus stalks into 1/4 inch rounds. Seaon with salt and pepper and toss in 1 tsp olive oil. Bake asparagus for 10 minutes and allow to cool.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil, cook eggs for eight minutes in the boiling water and immediately place in an ice bath. Peel eggs and, using an egg slicer, slice the eggs into 1/4 inch cubes.
Slice cherry tomatoes in half, slice cucumbers and radishes thin on a mandolin, thinly slice the scallions, add to a large bowl with the cooked asparagus, reserve the asparagus tops for garnish, and cubed egg. Grate the zest of the lemon into the bowl with the juice of half the lemon and 1 tbs of olive oil. Toss gently to combine and season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl add the avocado with 1 tbs of lemon juice, ketchup, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, kosher salt, chili paste, and mayonnaise. Mince or press, using a garlic press, the garlic clove and add to the mixture and mash together until smooth. Mince the cornichon and mix into the dressing.
In a small bowl, add the lump crab with the remaining lemon juice and tbs of olive oil. Toss gently to combine and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Arrange the lettuce leaves on a plate, divide the vegetable and egg mixture evenly between the leaves and top with the lump crab evenly distributed between the leaves. Top the crab with 1-2 tsp of the dressing and garnish with chopped chives and asparagus tops.
Serve.