Marinated Creole Tomatoes and Avocado Tequila Crab Salad

Gardeners around the world are beginning to harvest their tomatoes, giving everyone a reason to try out this award-winning dish. During the 2014 French Market Creole Tomato Festival, Chef Miles Prescott of Rio Mar and Little Gem Saloon took home the title of “Most Creative Dish.” Prescott’s recipe combines jumbo crabmeat, Creole tomatoes, avocado salad and fried plantains to celebrate the bounty of summer.

For the tomatoes:

2 Creole tomatoes
2 oz. sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp. smoked sweet paprika
3 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp. parsley, shredded
Avocado and Crab Salad (recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice tomatoes about 1/8 of an inch thick; lay flat in a sheet tray or Tupperware. One by one, add the above ingredients, starting with all the dry and finishing with the olive oil. Allow to sit and marinade while you mix up the Avocado and Crab Salad.

For the Avocado and Crab Salad:

1 lb. jumbo lump Gulf crabmeat
1 avocado, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and diced medium
3 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
2 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz. red onions, diced small
1 oz. red bell peppers, diced small
1 Tbsp. cumin, ground and toasted
1 shot tequila
1 cup Avocado and Lime Dressing (recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the above ingredients except for the crabmeat. With your hands, mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Add the crabmeat and gently fold in. (Adding the crabmeat last allows it to remain whole instead of breaking up in the mixing process.) Once you are finished, grab a bottle of tequila and carefully add a shot to the mix. Again, fold in gently, then taste. You want enough tequila to be able to notice it, but it should not taste like a margarita.

For the dressing:

1 avocado
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lime juice
2 oz. olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

To plate, lay a few slices of tomato to make a base on the plate, spoon the avocado salad on top, garnish with plantain chips and crumbled Cotija or Queso fresco. Cotija or Queso Fresco and Plantain chips can be found in the Latin aisle of your super market or at specialty Latin market. Serves 4-6