Years ago my husband took me to a small French restaurant on Taylor St. in Chicago where we had this amazing crab salad as an appetizer. I picked & poked at it with my fork, trying to figure out what it was comprised of so that I could make it at home. I had to ask about the wonderful drizzle on top, which turned out to be a balsamic reduction.

So, I came up with the recipe below. Because I have to admit tonight that I have NO idea what I'm making for dinner (we might order sushi!), I thought I would post this recipe and the picture that I used when I created my family cookbook.

If you're interested, you can actually purchase my book. It's been sitting out there for ages, and I created it and bought copies for my family members for a Christmas present. I am quite proud of it, and it was such fun to make (note that I put on a few pounds doing so that year!)

No pressure to buy, this blog isn't meant to be a commercial, but I thought I'd share since I haven't before. You can see it at the link below.

Margo's Family Cookbook - A Fusion of Families



Crab Salad with Balsamic Reduction

16 ounces imitation crab
3 - 4 green onions
1 1/2 stalk celery
1/2 red bell pepper
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/3 - 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
baguette of french bread, sliced

Chop crab meat and place in a medium mixing bowl. Finely chop green onion, celery, and bell pepper. Add to mixing bowl.

Squeeze lemon juice over crab mixture. Add a large pinch of kosher salt, and several grinds of fresh black pepper. Add mayonnaise and mix well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, place bread slices on a pan and spray with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 5 - 10 minutes or until browned.

Boil balsamic vinegar in a pan until it reduces by half and has a syrup-like consistency. Serve crostini slices topped with crab salad and drizzle balsamic syrup over the top.

~M