A client for whom I recently catered a plated luncheon for 12 requested that the menu include shelled Dungeness crab legs served with a mustard aioli—using a specific recipe that she was able to get from a prominent restaurant here in Seattle.
Fresh Dungeness crab is readily available in local seafood markets right now (I get mine from Wild Salmon Seafood at Ballard’s Fishermen’s Terminal), so this seemed like a good time to share the recipe with you too.
This aioli has a lighter taste than many tomato-based cocktail sauces. I think it makes a nice alternative, because it doesn’t cover up the great taste of the fresh crab.
The original recipe made 1 quart, so I adapted it to make a more manageable volume for most home cooks: 1¼ cups. It should keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.
Mustard Aioli
Yields 1¼ cups
8 ounces mayonnaise
3 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
2 tablespoons horseradish
1½ teaspoon Colman’s Mustard (powder)
½ tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
Recipe adapted from Canlis Restaurant.
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