Crab Cocktail With the Guru of Good Life

Once I returned home, I dealt with the Bibb lettuce first, which is always quite sandy and requires a through washing.

There's a trick I learned during my old kosher catering days: soak lettuce (or any sandy vegetable) in a sink full of cold water, then swish the greens and drain them in a colander. Repeat as many times as it takes for the water to become clear.

(We used to inspect the water in a white china cup, the way a jeweler looks at a diamond over white paper, trying to search for flaws. Eventually, the water would be crystal clear, and we'd know the dirt was completely gone.)

While I was soaking the lettuce, I made the sauce:

Cocktail Sauce
Serves 4

1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Tabasco
Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
½ lemon, juiced
¼ teaspoon white wine vinegar
Pinch cayenne pepper
Large bunch of mixed fresh herbs (parsley, tarragon, dill, cilantro and basil), chopped

In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the herbs. Add herbs, and stir until well mixed.

Then, to finish the dish:

Crab Cocktail
Serves 4

4 heads of Bibb lettuce, cut into quarters, washed and drained
2 pounds of jumbo lump crabmeat, drained
4 sprigs each fresh parsley, tarragon, dill, cilantro and basil
½ cup drained cornichons, roughly chopped
4 large radishes, trimmed, rinsed and thinly sliced
Cocktail sauce (see recipe above)

1. Crab cocktail needs a cocktail glass of some sort; a deep champagne saucer with a 15-ounce capacity is ideal. Set out four glasses.

2. Toss Bibb lettuce with a small amount of the cocktail sauce; place a handful of lettuce in each glass. Toss drained crabmeat in a small amount of cocktail sauce; pile evenly atop lettuce.

3. Spoon remaining sauce directly on top of crab, then sprinkle with cornichons, radishes and one of each herb sprig. This can be assembled 15 minutes ahead. (Alternatively, prepare the crab mixture without the lettuce and serve on toasted bread as a hors d'oeuvre.)

The reactions will be loud and effusive. Everyone loves this dish! And guess what I'll be serving again this weekend ...

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For more info on Rocco DiSpirito, please visit roccodispirito.com or click here to find his cookbooks.

Note: Rocco is shooting his new TV show, and he's looking for people with a dramatic situation in their lives involving food. Worried about that engagement dinner with your picky mother-in-law? Trying to win back that ex-girlfriend who's still mad at you for cheating on her? Trying to bury the hatchet with that outcast uncle at your family reunion cookout? Rocco wants to help you! Please email with your problem and we will contact you!

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