Alaska King Crab in a Spicy Lime-Cilantro Sabayon

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds Alaska King crab legs (about 4 legs)
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. Bailey Farms Red Habanero Hot Sauce
6 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions:

To prep the crabmeat:

Twist and separate the sections of the crab legs at the joints, while pulling out the long pieces of cartilage that run into the adjacent sections. Using kitchen shears, cut the shells open and the remove the leg meat. Pick the body meat from the sections of the crab at the base of the legs. Pat the crabmeat dry on paper towels. You should have at least 12 ounces.

Choose eight individual gratin dishes, eight 4-6 oz. ramekins, or one small shallow baking dish. Brush the inside of the dish or dishes with melted butter. Arrange the crabmeat in the dishes, breaking the large pieces apart if necessary to fit. Brush the crabmeat with melted butter, cover the dishes, and refrigerate until almost ready to serve.

To prepare the dish:

Choose a medium-sized stainless steel mixing bowl and a saucepan on which it will sit. Fill the saucepan with about 2 inches of water. When the bowl rests on the pan, the bottom should not touch the water. Bring the water to a boil.

Whisk the egg yolks with the vermouth, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and hot sauce in the mixing bowl. Place it over the boiling water and whisk vigorously until the sabayon becomes very thick and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Plunge the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice water, and whisk until the sabayon is cold to the touch. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks, then whisk it into the sabayon. Stir in the cilantro. Refrigerate the sabayon in a covered container until you are ready to finish the dish. It will keep up to a day.

To cook the dish:

Shortly before you are ready to serve, preheat the oven to 300F with the rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake the dish or dishes of crabmeat, uncovered, until just warm, about 7-8 minutes. Remove the dishes from the oven and turn the broiler on high. Spoon the sabayon over the crabmeat. Broil until the top of the sauce is nicely browned. Serve right away with slices of crusty baguette.

Adapted from The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute,recipe by Jerry Traunfeld, Executive Chef of The Herbfarm.