1/4 bulb fennel
1 large radish
1/2 lb king crab
vanilla salt (recipe follows)
1 T bergamot olive oil

Dig the meat out of your king crab–it helps to have a thick wooden skewer handy to push stuff through. Shave the fennel into thin slices; if you have no way to do this, julienne it. Slice the radish very thinly (shave), alternately make a large julienne. In an empty spice jar, mix the pulp of one whole fresh vanilla bean with 1 T sea salt, shake vigorously to mix. Add plenty to taste, and toss it all with the bergamot olive oil. If you have no oil of this kind, use a small amount of regular, light, fruity olive oil or simply squeeze a bit of lime on it instead. I used double the crab in the above recipe but would suggest the amounts above as a better option.

Serves 2-4 as an appetizer

Wine: A yeasty bubbly without too much body (not the time for the Dom, people!), perhaps one from northern Italy (a prosecco, but make sure it’s a dry one; a spumante would be fine too–the difference, if you aren’t familiar, is that one is made carbonated by adding yeast and bottling int he Champagne method, and spumante is made as a “sparkling wine” is made).

4 center-cut lamb ribs
6 fingerling potatoes, halved
2 spring “new” carrots, washed well but not skinned
1/2 very small apple
1 T fresh thyme
salt & pepper
1 T butter
1/4 C soy sauce
2 clove garlic, minced
2 T good BBQ sauce

Mix the soy sauce, garlic, and BBQ, coat your lamb chops, and turn the oven to broil.

In a sautee pan, melt the butter at medium high heat, and add the potatoes cut side down, season generously with salt & pepper. Cook until golden, turn over. After 2-3 minutes, add the (medium thin chopped) carrots and thyme. Toss. At the same time, add the lamb to the oven about 6-8 inches from the broiler.  When carrots have brightened, turn the lamb chops over in the oven checking that they are not over cooked, and then add the apple to the potato mixture. Turn off the heat on the potato mixture.

After 1-3 minutes on the opposite side, lamb should be done. Assemble!

Wine: Great with a fuller merlot or a dry, earthy red.