Thai Crab Salad with Spicy Avocado

Thai Marinade:
1 garlic clove + a pinch of salt
1 shallot, finely minced
1 1/2 limes, juiced and strained
1/2 lemon, juiced and strained
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup grapeseed or corn oil
1/4 bunch basil, leaves only, finely chopped
1/4 bunch mint, leaves only, finely chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems only, finely chopped

Spicy Avocado:
2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
1 shallot, finely minced
1 garlic clove + a pinch of salt, mashed to a paste
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced and strained
1 lemon, juiced and strained
1 teaspoon chile sauce or Tabasco
1 teaspoon salt

Crab:
1 pound fresh-picked cooked Dungeness crabmeat

The marinade:
Place the garlic clove on a cutting board and sprinkle salt over it. Using the flat side of a knife, smash the garlic and salt together, pressing and smashing to make a paste.

Put the shallot in a large bowl. Add the garlic paste, lime and lemon juices to taste, the fish sauce, honey and oil. Stir in the basil, mint and cilantro. Set aside for 1 hour. (This will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.)

The spicy avocado:
Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mash together.

To assemble:
Stir the marinade very well. Generously dress the crab with marinade. Place a spoonful of avocado on each serving plate and top with marinated crab. Drizzle marinade around the outside of the plates to garnish. Or, put the avocado in one bowl and the marinated crab in another and let guests serve themselves.

Serves 6.