Starter Plate with River Crabs

Ingredients

• 500 g white asparagus
• Salt
• 1 egg yolk (M)
• juice from 1 lemon
• ground pepper
• 1 pinch sugar
• 6 tbsp oil
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 pot basil
• 1 can artichoke hearts
• 125 g princess beans
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 tbsp light balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp walnut oil
• 125 g white mushrooms
• 50 g crème fraîche
• 2 tsp sweet mustard
• 4 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 large tomato
• 12 river crabs (cooked by fishmonger)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel the asparagus and trim the ends. Cook the asparagus in lightly salted water for about 12 minutes. Drain the asparagus, reserving 6 tbsp of cooking water, rinse under cold water, and let drain well.

2. 2.

   Beat the egg yolk with lemon juice, a pinch of salt, pepper, and sugar in a tall mixing bowl using a whisk. Gradually fold in the oil, then stir in the reserved asparagus cooking water. Season with salt and pepper. Rinse the herbs (cut basil), shake dry, finely chop the leaves, and mix half into the salad dressing.

3. 3.

   Drain the artichokes. Mix the asparagus and artichokes separately with each half of the salad dressing and refrigerate for 1.5 hours to infuse.

4. 4.

   Rinse and trim the beans, then boil in salted water for 9 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and let drain well. Trim and finely chop the celery. Blanch in salted water for 1 minute, drain, rinse under cold water, and let drain. Whisk vinegar with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, olive oil, and walnut oil. Marinate the beans and celery separately in this mixture, refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. 5.

   Clean and thinly slice the mushrooms. Mix crème fraîche with mustard and heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then fold in remaining herbs. Toss the mushrooms with this sauce.

6. 6.

   Score the tomato crosswise, blanch it for 1 minute in boiling water, rinse under cold water, and peel. Quarter the tomato and remove the seeds.

7. 7.

   Arrange the prepared vegetables and river crabs on plates and garnish with truffle shavings if desired before serving.