One day not so long ago, an ultra-ripe canary melon, an inquisitive-looking, curvy Japanese cucumber, and a small can of crab commanded my attention. They got it. At my house, meals are made of whatever will soon pass from the realm of the edible to the realm of the spoiled. This delicious salad, if not particularly authentic, rescued these fortunates from the brink.
The crab, as jarred crab always does, screamed crab cakes. But there was only a little… what if crab were a condiment? What angle would it take… salty sea appeal? Concentrated seafood flavor? Maybe. But what about those crispy bits on the edges of your favorite crab cake? Now that’s a condiment.
Yes, I am aware that Thais do not traditionally eat crispy-crab and cucumber salads on a bed of lettuce with a soy-sauce dribbled fried egg on top. But I do, and I hope you will too. Especially because thirty minutes and a single skillet to wash stand between you and this salad. A lone cup of crab (what, you buy the cans in pairs or something sane like that?) is mixed with egg, panko or regular breadcrumbs, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and a tiny slip of spicy curry paste if you please. (Mom does not please.) Spread it out in a skillet with any neutral oil, fry, flip, fry some more: crispy crab. Now create a lettuce bed in a big bowl. Thinly sliced cukes and sweet melon sleep on the bed. Honeydew, cantaloupe, canary, or sprite melons will all be delightful. (A canary melon is bright yellow with whitish honeydew-ish flesh, a sprite small and pale with paler flesh. They are both soft and sweet.) Even watermelon won’t disappoint- just make sure the chunks aren’t too huge. Chopped cashews, toasted coconut, cilantro, and basil go on top- I like to use Sweet Curry Coconut. Now pile on your crispy crab.
Serve with a fried egg dotted with soy sauce- it slips into the eggy layers perfectly. Now do as Mom does- eat for supper and dessert.
Thai Crispy Crab and Melon Salad
Crispy Crab: 1 cup canned or jarred cooked crabmeat
1 egg
1 tbsp grated or minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp sesame seeds
¾ cup panko or regular breadcrumbs
1/8 tsp green or red curry paste, OPTIONAL
2 tbsp canola or other neutral oil
Salad: 1 medium head lettuce, in leaves or torn
5 cups diced melon, such as honeydew, cantaloupe, sprite, or canary
1 medium Japanese or other cucumber, thinly sliced
¼ cup finely diced bell pepper, optional
¼ cup chopped cashews
1/3 cup toasted coconut shreds or Sweet Curry Coconut (toasted coconut shreds dusted with mild curry powder)
Extra chopped cilantro, mint, and/or Thai basil
Fried eggs: 4 large eggs
12 drops soy sauce
1 tsp canola oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Directions: To make the crab, stir egg, ginger, curry paste, garlic, soy sauce, cilantro, and sesame together in a medium bowl. Stir in the crab, then the breadcrumbs until well-combined. Heat a medium skillet on medium, spread in 1 tbsp oil. Add the crab and spread over the skillet, cook until crispy and golden brown on the bottom. Flip over every piece possible, add remaining oil, tilt the skillet slightly to distribute. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Quickly fry the eggs: add 1 tsp of oil to the crispy crab pan on medium and spread, crack in the eggs, and fry until firm on the bottom and jiggly on top. Cut into four pieces, each containing a yolk, with the spatula. Flip each piece and sprinkle with 3 dots of soy sauce per egg. Also sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cook until firm on the outside but slightly gel-like in the yolk… or however you like it. To assemble the salad, make a bed or bowl of lettuce in a large bowl, add melon, cucumber, crab, and pepper, and sprinkle with coconut, cashews, and herbs. Serve each portion with a fried egg.
