Crab and Ahi Tuna Carpaccio with Tomato Gelée

10 large heirloom tomatoes
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 packets powdered gelatin
2 tbsp minced chives
6 ounces Grade A Ahi tuna
3 ounces baby salad greens
sherry vinegar
fresh ground pepper
10 ounces Dungeness crab (cooked and cleaned)
high-quality salt

Place the tomatoes in a blender and puree. Add salt to taste. Set a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl. Transfer the puree to the strainer and allow the tomato water to drip into the bowl, without pressing on the puree.

In a saucepan, stir the gelatin into 4 cups o the tomato water. Heat over a low flame, stirring constantly, until the gelatin dissolves. Pour into an oiled jellyroll pan and chill until set. Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out four 1-1/2 inch circles of the tomato gelée for each serving.

Shortly before serving, place the crab in a bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the oil and the chives. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the tuna into four equal slices. Place each slice between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound to approximately five inches across. Toss the salad greens in the remaining olive oil.

Place each tuna slice in the center of a dinner plate and lightly sprinkle with salt. Place four circles of gelée on each tuna slice. Mound the crab atop the gelée. Sprinkle with a little sherry vinegar. Top with the greens and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Recipe by Paul McCabe, Chef – Top of the Cove
1216 Prospect Street
La Jolla, California 92037
858.454.7779
http://www.topofthecove.com

Top of the Cove is a historical as well as culinary landmark, occupying an 1893 bungalow that was one of La Jolla’s first buildings. The award-winning restaurant’s spectacular views of La Jolla Cove are complemented by Chef Paul McCabe’s innovative cooking, which draws on influences from around the world. Born and raised in Sedona, Arizona, Paul began his kitchen career at L’Ermitage restaurant in Hollywood, where he learned the basics of classic French cuisine. He went on to cook in several top resorts and restaurants in the Southwest and Hawaii, garnering numerous awards. Today Paul’s eclectic, elegant menus and the restaurant’s outstanding wine list make Top of the Cove one of Southern California’s most prestigious restaurants.

Chef McCabe has paired the Stag’s Leap wine cellars 2000 Beckstoffer Ranch Chardonnay with a dish of crab, raw tuna, and sweet tomato gelée. In his restaurant, he uses rare sapphire princess crab and completes the presentation with tiny cucumber buds; on the next page he offers a version accessible to home cooks.

“The dish responds to the complexity of this beautiful wine,” Paul says. “The crab works well with the wine’s mineral side, while the richness of the tuna balances the very light oak, and there’s just enough acid to bring the flavors together.”