Crab Avocado Appetizer Stack

This crab avocado appetizer stack looks impressive and tastes great! Serve this New Orleans inspired dish for your next dinner party.

This dinner party appetizer combines crab meat and guacamole for a marriage of flavors that’s hard to beat.

Just when you think party season is over (aka, the holidays) you realize that the first few months of the year are full of reasons to host a gathering. It’s Awards party season, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl, and Mardi Gras. That’s enough to keep you busy for 2-3 months!

This year I was inspired to create a Mardi Gras themed dinner party after visiting New Orleans last April. Our last night there, we had an amazing meal at Criollo, and ordered the shrimp, blue crab, avocado stack for an appetizer. It’s was one of the best things I’ve ever had!

I decided to re-create the dish, and made this crab avocado appetizer stack. The presentation itself is impressive, but the combination of seafood and guacamole is fantastic!

How To Make It

This appetizer consists of three parts, or layers: crab layer, guacamole layer, and tomato coulis. You’ll need six small, or 4-ounce ramekins to mold the stack, and saran wrap to make it easy to remove.

The crab layer is lightly seasoned with just enough mayonnaise to add moisture and a little creaminess.

1. Line each ramekin with plastic wrap and press it tightly against the edges and corners. Add the avocado layer and press it lightly so it molds to the shape of the bowl
2. Add the crab layer and press lightly so it’s flat on top. Bring the plastic wrap up and over the crab so it’s airtight, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours.
3. When ready to serve, loosen the saran wrap and open it up, place a plate on top and invert it so the ramekin is on top. Slowly remove the dish and lift off the plastic wrap to reveal your crab stack.

While I can’t quite duplicate the chef’s recipe, this one tastes delicious nonetheless. It’s a fabulous appetizer to serve for a sit-down dinner, or even a small cocktail party for 6 guests.

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Crab Avocado Appetizer Stack

Yield: 6 appetizers

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These crab and avocado appetizer stacks make an impressive presentation and taste amazing! Serve these for an elegant sit down dinner party any time or as part of a New Orleans style Mardi Gras party menu.

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Ingredients

Avocado Layer

• 2 cups diced avocado
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Crab Layer

• 2 cups lump crab meat
• 3/4 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and white pepper to taste

Tomato Coulis

• 1 (15-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Garnish

• 6 large cooked shrimp

Instructions

1. Line individual ramekins with saran wrap, and make sure it’s tucked in to tightly around the base.
2. In a medium size bowl, fold all avocado layer ingredients together to combine. Add a layer to each ramekin and pack it down
3. In another bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, chives, lemon juice and garlic. Fold in crab meat, carefully so as not to break it up. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a layer of crab mixture and press down to make sure everything is packed snug inside.
4. Cover the crab meat with the over hanging saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. When ready to serve, open saran wrap and pull it away from the top of the mold.
6. Place a serving plate on top of the ramekin and in one move, flip it over so the ramekin is upside down on the plate. Gently remove the ramekin, then peel saran wrap off of the crab stack.
7. Garnish with a large cocktail shrimp and the tomato coulis.

TO MAKE THE COULIS:

1. Chop the tomatoes and measure out 1 cup to use. Place in a blender with other ingredients and blend until completely pureed.
2. Spoon a ring of the sauce around the crab & avocado stack.

Notes

Add tortilla chips on the side for an added crunchy treat that you can use to scoop the stack with.

Place coulis in a squeeze bottle to make it easier to control when plating.

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