Crab with Cannellini Bean Salad and Citrus Vinaigrette

Prepare an ice bath and set aside. Bring a large pot of seasoned water (1/4 cup Kosher salt to one quart of water) to a boil. Plunge live crab into the water, cover and cook for fourteen minutes or until the crab shells are bright red. Carefully remove the cooked crab from the pot and shock in the ice bath to arrest cooking. When cool to the touch, rinse thoroughly and carefully remove meat from the body and legs. (A Dungeness should yield 25% of its total weight or approximately 1½ pounds of meat for this recipe). Crab meat may be reserved up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

For the cannellini beans, soak beans in six cups of water overnight, drain and reserve. In a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and prosciutto. Sauté until the prosciutto turns brown and is aromatic (3-4 minutes). Add the vegetables and thyme and continue to cook while occasionally stirring until vegetables have cooked through and carrots have begun to caramelize. Add the Chardonnay and reduce until nearly dry. Add the stock, bay leaves and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1-1½ hours, until beans are cooked through (check multiple beans to be sure). Remove the pot from heat and season generously with salt, fresh-cracked pepper and olive oil, if desired. Allow the beans to absorb the salt for 20 minutes and then chill to reserve. Beans may be prepared up to three days in advance.

For the vinaigrette, combine shallot, mustard, vinegar, juices and coriander in a blender. Pulse to combine. With motor running slowly incorporate oils to emulsify. Whisk in zests, season and reserve.

For the citrus chip, line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Arrange the slices in a single layer and crisp in a food dehydrator for 8-10 hours at 120 degrees. Alternatively chips may be dried in a 175-degree oven for 3-4 hours turning once half way through drying. Store chips in an air-tight container. *For a sweeter chip, steep the citrus slices in hot simply syrup for 30 minutes, shake off excess and proceed as above.

To plate, combine cannellini, grapefruit and pistachio with three tablespoons of the vinaigrette; reserve. In a separate bowl, combine crab meat with 6 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, dill pollen and torn pieces of grapefruit chip; reserve. Spoon bean salad onto six small plates, top with crab and serve. Garnish with additional chips and Jordan Chef’s Reserve Caviar if desired.