For this dish now on the menu at Equinox, the award-winning restaurant in Washington, D.C., executive chef and owner Todd Gray marinates cleaned soft-shell crab in buttermilk for two hours.
Meanwhile he makes a tzatziki with Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, lemon juice, chopped mint, dill, salt and pepper.
He also roasts heirloom beets until tender, peels them and cuts them into large dice.
He slices a small red Vidalia onion into 1/8-inch slices, combines it with the beets and pours his boiling pickling brine over them.
He adds turmeric and saffron to another pickling brine and pours that over cauliflower florets.
He removes the crabs from the buttermilk, dredges them in a mixture of all-purpose and semolina flower and fries them in a blend of oil and butter until crispy and then seasons them with salt and pepper
He plates the tzatziki and sprinkles it with the beets, onions, and cauliflower, and tops it with the crab. It’s served with wedges of za’atar spiced grilled pita.
“We love the dish because it brings a Mediterranean play to a distinctly Mid-Atlantic ingredient,” Graves said “The contrast of the sweet, crispy crab with the richness of the tzatziki and sweet pickled vegetables makes for a harmonious balance of flavors.
Price: $24