Crab n' Cuke Appies

A zesty crab filling spiked with wasabi and mustard sits on top of crispy cucumber slices.

My husband is from San Francisco and when we first got married, we lived in the heart of the city. I loved the seasons, the culture, the restaurants, and the endless variety of things to do. I loved everything about the city, except for the fog because it gave me “big hair.” All you ladies with a little curl in your hair know what I mean. But, going to Fisherman’s Wharf to have some fresh crab…well, there’s nothing like it. Now, I live inland where cows and horses pepper the rolling hills, so my fresh crab comes from the grocery store. It’s still very good and makes a wonderful appetizer.

My Crab n’ Cuke Appies have just enough wasabi in them to wake you up. Served cold, they’re a refreshing addition to any party palette. It’s really worth it and tastes best if you can get fresh crab, although you do have to go the extra mile to crack and dig for the meat. But, if it’s out of season, you can use a good quality packaged “fresh” crab found in the seafood department of your market. Whenever I take a platter of this to a party, they go fast, so that’s always a good sign of a scrumptious appie.

I know I’ve said this before about a recipe being “forgiving” and this is one of them. You can add more wasabi if you want a punch in the mouth, more mayo if you love mayo, and more lime if you like it tangier. You can go less, too.

Makes 24

• 1 or 2 English cucumbers, depending on how long they are
• 6 oz. fresh crab meat, broken into small pieces
• 3 T mayo
• 1 tsp. wasabi paste (comes in a tube, found in Asian Foods)
• 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• salt to taste
• a few radishes
• melon baller

You can leave the skin on or peel it into stripes as in the picture. Slice the cucumber into 24 – ½ inch pieces. Using the small end of a melon baller, scoop out some of the seeds, making a dip in the slices. Be sure to leave the bottoms intact, so the filling won’t fall through. Set aside.

Slice the radishes into thin pieces. Then cut the round pieces like a pie into little triangles. The red curved part should be about ¼ inch wide. You’ll need 96 pieces. Set aside.

Mix the crab meat with the mayo, wasabi paste, lime juice, and mustard. Very Important:  fresh crab is sweet, so you might need some salt. Packaged crab meat can have salt in it, so be sure to do a taste test before adding your salt.

Spoon the crab mixture onto each cucumber slice and stick four pieces of the radish garnish on top with the red edges showing. Keep chilled until serving time.