By Week 388. Year 8. Tommy is 41. Deep summer. The business thriving. Luc (17) at LSU studying engineering. The heat index above 100 and the AC straining and the only relief is the cold beer and the screened porch and the sound of the fan turning and the knowledge that fall is coming and the gumbo is waiting.
Made blackened redfish this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Laissez les bons temps rouler.
A week like this one — deep summer, house full of good heat and good smells, the kind of living that doesn’t ask for much but gives back everything — deserves food that matches the mood: easy, coastal, no fuss. When the blackened redfish is the main event, these open faced crab salad sandwiches are the kind of thing you pull together for lunch the next day, fridge-cold and fresh, a little nod to the Gulf still humming in the kitchen. Louisiana handed us the fish; the coast handed us this.
Open Faced Crab Salad Sandwiches
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 thick slices sourdough or French bread, toasted
- 4 leaves butter lettuce
- 1 ripe tomato, thinly sliced
- Fresh parsley or chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Mix the crab salad. In a medium bowl, gently combine the crab meat, mayonnaise, sour cream, celery, green onions, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Old Bay seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold carefully to keep the lump crab intact. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to let flavors meld.
- Toast the bread. Toast the bread slices under a broiler or in a toaster until golden and crisp on the edges, about 2–3 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t over-brown.
- Layer the base. Place a leaf of butter lettuce on each toast slice, followed by 1–2 slices of fresh tomato.
- Top with crab salad. Spoon a generous mound of the chilled crab salad onto each prepared toast.
- Garnish and serve. Finish with a scattering of fresh parsley or chives and an extra squeeze of lemon if desired. Serve immediately while the toast is still crisp.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 680mg