Asian Krab Stack

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This Asian Krab Stack looks elegant, but is actually easy to prepare! Layered with spicy krab salad, avocado, grilled pinapple and a sweet asian red bell pepper relish, these stacks are packed with flavor!

I use to be a birthday person. If I am being honest, that is probably an understatement… of a lifetime. I USED to be THE birthday celebratory chick-a-dee’… Cubic Zirconia adorned crown included.

I pretty much LIVED (I might be a tad bit over exaggerating, kind of) for that ONE day a year where people celebrate YOU. 

You get to RULE all the land (A.K.A the household), you can make crazy demands, your fur covered daughters best respect your personal space, and Boy bows down to my authori-tie. Essentially, people must respect your superiority!

On top of that, you receive (or totally should receive) shiny, mysterious, beautiful, colorfully wrapped packages… which you get to tear into, unavailing that which lies beneath.*

*Present Ground Rules:

1. I prefer presents that revolve around kitchen gadgets, food, culinary trinkets…
2. I do NOT want you to spend a lot of money. Unless, you insist. In that case, I expect the kind that come in turquoise wrapping or have a red bottom.
3. Best present you can give me is to buy me dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant. Shari Sushi, downtown Orlando, Thorton Park Location…. It’s one of Boy’s presents to me every year…. <3
4. Don’t waste your money on a card, I prefer trees alive and growing, not chopped down and turned into something I am going to eventually throw away.

Well, I have decided I don’t want to celebrate my birthday anymore. I would like to celebrate someone ELSE getting a year older. But, I still want the presents (wink wink).

At what age, exactly, is growing up no longer fun? Was it when roller-skating rink parties lost their appeal? I remember desperately wanting to be double digits, then a teenager, then 16 so I could drive, next the legal age of 18, lastly 21. What after that… what is there to look forward to? For me, it was all downhill at 29 in the birthday department.

Marking my first +1 in my 30’s has made me question a lot of things in my life. Like where the hell is that damn fountain of youth??! It has also made me want to seclude myself, pout, stay in bed, pull the covers up over my head and attempt to convince myself it is possible to age backwards.

Because it is my big day, and because I can post what I want to (and cry if I want to)… I’m posting one of my favorite dishes, Asian Krab Stacks. Delicious. Pretty. Make. These. Now. I’m not going to go into details about how amazing each component of this Tower is. The pictures speak a thousand words. Feel free to use jumbo lump crab instead of artificial krab if you are feeling frisky… and your pockets are feeling deep. Enjoy… off I go to see if your present has arrived at my door yet.

-xoxo-

Cheyanne

Asian Krab Stack (for my birthday)

Author: Cheyanne Holzworth

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 2 people

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This Asian Krab Stack looks elegant, but is actually easy to prepare! Layered with spicy krab salad, avocado, grilled pinapple and a sweet asian red bell pepper relish, these stacks are packed with flavor!

Prep: 30 minutes Inactive Time: 30+ minutes Total Time: 1 hour Yield: 1 Stack

Ingredients 

• 6 oz Imitation Krab Sticks (about 10 sticks), can substitute real jumbo lump crab
• 1 stalk Scallion , white and green part – finely diced
• ¼ cup Cream Cheese
• 1 tsp Sake
• 1/8 cup Kewpie (Japanese) Mayonnaise, can substitute normal mayonnaise
• 2 ½ tsp Sriracha
• ½ tsp Chili Oil
• 1 Avocado – medium dice and sprinkled with 1 TBS Lime Juice (to prevent browning)
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 5 ½ oz Pineapple – peeled, cored, and cut into rings (about 2, 1’’ thick rings)
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1/3 cup Asian Red Bell Pepper Relish: (recipe below)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper – Roasted* and small dice (can substitute jarred roasted red peppers)
• 1 Shallot – small dice (can substitute ½ red onion)
• 1 Thai Chili – de-stemmed and minced
• 1 clove Garlic – minced
• 1 tsp Ginger – grated
• 1/3 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

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Instructions

• Prepare Krab Salad-
• Place cream cheese and scallions in a medium sized mixing bowl. Soften cream cheese mixture by adding sake and mix in using a fork. Stir in mayonnaise, Sriracha and chili oil.
• Shred krab sticks, using fingers to pull apart strands. Add to cream cheese. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Place in refrigerator and allow flavors to marry, at least 30 minutes, up to over night.
• Prepare Pineapple-
• Heat the grill, or a grill pan, to medium high heat. Add pineapple rings to grill. Brush the top with ½ tsp honey. Grill 2 minutes, rotate 45 degrees and continue to grill an additional 2 minutes. Flip pineapple rings over. Brush with remaining ½ tsp honey. Grill 2 minutes, rotate 45 degrees, and finish grilling for 2 minutes. *this will create hatch marks on your pineapple, which is totally optional. If you do not feel like the hassle, simply grill pineapple 4-5 minutes per side.
• Remove pineapple to a clean work surface or cutting board and allow to cool.
• Once cooled, cut into medium sized diced pieces. Set aside.
• Assemble Krab Stacks-
• Place a duel open ended cylindrical mold onto your serving plate. If you do not have a mold, you can use an empty, clean, tall soup or vegetable can with both ends removed.
• Gently push the avocado pieces down into the bottom of the mold.
• Gently add grilled pineapple chunks on top of avocado.
• Next, pour about 1/4th cup of the Asian red pepper relish on top of that.
• Follow up with adding the spicy krab salad to fill the mold to the top, gently pushing everything down with a spoon.
• Set aside and allow to set up and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Carefully slide the mold off the stack, using a spoon to press down gently on the top of the stack.
• Garnish the top of the krab stack with masago, sesame seeds, and micro greens. Serve with eel sauce, Sriracha, wonton or nori chips, and mixed greens.
• Spicy Asian Red Bell Pepper Relish: Yield: ¾ cupPlace a small saucepan over medium - medium high heat, add all relish ingredients. Stir to combine.  Bring to a slow boil. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Lower heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 25 – 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has reduced.  Taste and adjust seasoning according to taste.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 462kcal    Carbohydrates: 55g    Protein: 4g    Fat: 25g    Saturated Fat: 7g    Cholesterol: 31mg    Sodium: 409mg    Potassium: 742mg    Fiber: 8g    Sugar: 43g    Vitamin A: 2525IU    Vitamin C: 92.2mg    Calcium: 70mg    Iron: 1.3mg

Course: Appetizer, starter

Cuisine: Asian