Recipes Breakfast + Brunch Breakfast Toast Avocado Toast Crab and Avocado Toasts 5.0 (718) 1 Review Gerard Craft grew up in Washington, DC, eating lots of Maryland blue crab. Here, he creates a very simple and delicious starter by tossing sweet crabmeat with fresh mint and lime juice, then spooning it over mashed avocado on toast. You can make the toasts or buy store-bought ones to save time. By Gerard Craft Gerard Craft Why he won Because, in a historic St. Louis neighborhood, he prepares a deceptively simple, drop-dead-delicious pork-oriented menu. Born Burlington, VT; 1979. Experience Bistro Toujours, Park City, UT; Ryland Inn, Whitehouse, NJ; Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles. How he got into cooking “I dropped out of college in Salt Lake City and was washing cars. That wasn’t fun, so I started washing dishes at Fats Grill & Pool, and they let me cook.” Early food experiences “My family is full of food lovers—my brother has wanted to eat at every Michelin three-star restaurant since he was 14. On my 13th birthday I had my first mussels in Normandy, France, right after chocolate crêpes. But I hated food until I went to boarding school in Idaho and saw how bad it could be.” Favorite thing about St. Louis “It’s more food-oriented than anyone thinks. There are a million food blogs, and even a food magazine, Sauce.” Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 11, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Lucy Schaeffer Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 8 Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 8 slices packaged thin white bread 2 Hass avocados Salt and cayenne pepper 4 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice Directions Preheat the oven to 350° and lightly brush a large baking sheet with olive oil. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp 4 rounds out of each slice of bread and transfer to the baking sheet. Lightly brush the rounds with olive oil and toast for about 15 minutes, until they are lightly golden and slightly crisp. In a small bowl, mash the avocados with a pinch each of salt and cayenne pepper. In another small bowl, gently stir the crabmeat with the mint and lime juice and season with salt. Spread the mashed avocado on the toasts, top with the crab mixture and serve right away. Suggested Pairing A bright, minerally white, such as a California Sauvignon Blanc, is perfect with the sweet crab. Rate it Print