Kani to shungiku no sunomono / crab and garland chrysanthemum in sweetened rice vinegar dressing

Crab and shungiku garland chrysanthemum are a good match. Here is a mild yet refreshing side dish that brings out the flavor of both crab and chrysanthemum.

<Ingredients>

100 g crabmeat (approx. half of small Dungeness crab)
Tiny handful (20-30 g) shungiku garland chrysanthemum leaves
Pinch salt (to blanch shungiku, not in photo)
1-2 tsp sake (for crab, not in photo)

For sunomono dressing
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp usukuchi soy sauce
1 tsp sugar


<Directions>
1.

Pour sake over crabmeat, cover, and microwave for 20-30 seconds. Let cool in fridge.

2.

Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar well.
Set aside.

3.

Bring water to boil, add pinch salt, and blanch shungiku.

When color brightens, immediately remove from boiling water and put in ice water.

Squeeze out extra water, and chop.

4.

Mix shungiku with crabmeat.

Pour vinegar mixture, and mix. 

<Notes>

• Microwaving crabmeat with sake is to eliminate the smell. This is an optional process, especially if your crabmeat is super fresh.
• Make sure crabmeat is cool (room temperature or cooler) when shungiku is added.
• Sunomono is a general term for small side dishes with rice vinegar-based dressing that typically contain something sweet (sugar, mirin) and often something salty (salt, soy sauce).
• The above dressing by itself is a little strong in terms of soy sauce flavor; when mixed with crabmeat, however, the taste becomes milder because of the sake added to crabmeat and liquid from crab.