Mexican Green Gazpacho with Shellfish

Name: Mexican Green Gazpacho with Shellfish
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for frying and for crab; 1 large onion, diced; 2 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced; 1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and diced; 1 slice of bread, white or wheat, diced or torn into pieces; 1 garlic clove, minced; 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced (reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish); 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and minced (reserve 1 for garnish); 1 bunch cilantro, washed and roughly chopped (reserve a few nice sprigs for garnish); 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; Juice of 3 limes (about 6 tablespoons), plus extra for crab; Salt and pepper; Hot sauce; Vegetable oil, for frying; 2 corn tortillas, cut into strips; 1/4 pound lump crabmeat, well picked; 12 large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 small ripe avocado, peeled and sliced or diced; 1/2 small ripe mango, peeled and diced, or 2 or 3 radishes, grated or diced

December 14, 2011

I remember a time when gazpacho became very trendy and was on every menu. I decided to come up with a different version—even with a different color. It was José Andrés of Jaleo in Washington, D.C., who made the best Spanish gazpacho I ever tasted, so I borrowed his technique of frying the bread in olive oil. The toasted flavor and richness of the fried bread helps mellow the acidity and round out the flavors of the other ingredients. The shellfish garnish is not necessary but makes the dish a little more elegant and sumptuous.

Cooks' Note

Sometimes poblanos are really spicy, sometimes they are not. Depends on what they're grown near, etc. You can usually smell when you cut into them. Or cut a small sliver. If it's way fiery, decrease the amount you use in this dish.

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