Chilled Avocado Soup Appetizers With Crab Recipes

Steps:

• To make the soup, puree the avocados and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Place in a bowl and whisk in the buttermilk and milk or cream until desired consistency is reached. Depending on the avocado, more or less milk or cream may be needed. Add salt and pepper and chill.
• To make the crab meat salad, combine the lime juice, mustard and salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the capers and peppercorns. Add the crab meat and toss. Adjust the seasoning and chill.
• Ladle the soup into 6 bowls, add dollops of crab meat salad and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and stock; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 8 minutes. Add spinach, cover and simmer until wilted, about 4 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Transfer soup to large bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool, then cover and chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Mix crabmeat, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and shallot in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix avocado and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice in another small bowl; mash coarsely. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place tomato can or biscuit cutter in center of 1 soup bowl. Spoon in 1 tablespoon avocado mixture; smooth top. Spoon in 1 tablespoon crab mixture; press lightly to compact. Spoon in 1 tablespoon avocado mixture. Top with 1 teaspoon caviar. Carefully lift off can. Repeat in remaining soup bowls with remaining timbale ingredients. Ladle soup around each timbale. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• GUACAMOLE:.
• Preheat a grill pan.
• In a small bowl, toss the scallions, garlic and jalapeno with the vegetable oil.
• Grill over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until charred all over, 3-5 minutes.
• Transfer to a work surface and let cool.
• Finely chop the scallions and jalapeno; transfer to medium bowl.
• Peel the garlic cloves, mash them to a paste and add them to the bowl.
• Scoop the avocado flesh into the bowl and coarsely mash with a fork.
• Fold the cilantro and lime juice into the guacamole; season with salt & pepper (make sure you don't over-season because there is more salt & pepper in the soup!).
• CHILLED AVOCADO SOUP TOPPED WITH CRAB:.
• In a blender, puree the guacamole with the cold buttermilk, bottled clam juice, ice water and lime juice.
• Season the soup with salt and pepper.
• Pour the soup into 4 bowls and top with the jumbo lump crab meat.
• Garnish each bowl of soup with creme fraiche, fried tortilla strips and finely chopped chives.