Crab Caprese Sandwich

Ingredients

1 lb. Phillips Lump Crab Meat
1/2 cup basil pesto (recipe below)
1 focaccia loaf
olive oil, as needed
1 lb. pre-sliced fresh mozzarella
24 fresh basil leaves
12 campari tomatoes, quartered (or 24 grape/cherry tomatoes halved)
balsamic glaze, to taste

Basil Pesto
4.5 oz fresh basil leaves (about 3 cups tightly packed)
1/3 cup raw pine nuts (or walnuts)
2 garlic cloves, each cut in half
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
1/2 lemon, juiced

Cooking Instructions

Prepare Basil Pesto

• Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add basil leaves and blanch for about 20-30 seconds. Remove from water and immediately transfer to ice bath. Remove basil from ice bath and wrap in paper towels to gently dry (do not squeeze). Basil leaves don’t need to be bone-dry; they just need to not be dripping with excess moisture. Set aside basil.
• Combine all ingredients (including basil) in a food processor and blend until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.

Prepare Crab Caprese Sandwich

• In a large bowl, add crab and pesto. Toss gently until well-combined. Chill until ready for use.
• Slice loaf in half height-wise, like you’re making a giant sandwich. Lay both halves cut side up. From each loaf half, cut two rectangles about 8” x 4” in dimension. Snack on the discards, or save for later. Drizzle the cut side of each focaccia rectangle with olive oil to taste.
• In a large pan over medium heat (working in batches), brown drizzled side of focaccia until evenly browned to taste. Drizzle unbrowned side of focaccia with more olive oil to taste, then flip and brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
• To build each Crab Caprese Sandwich: Lay the cut side of focaccia rectangle facing up. Top with 4 slices of mozzarella, then 6 basil leaves, then Pesto Crab to taste, then 3 quartered campari tomatoes or (6 halved grape/cherry tomatoes), then balsamic glaze. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.

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