I remember a time when gazpacho became very trendy and was on every menu. I decided to come up with a different version—even with a different color. It was José Andrés of Jaleo in Washington, D.C., who made the best Spanish gazpacho I ever tasted, so I borrowed his technique of frying the bread in olive oil. The toasted flavor and richness of the fried bread helps mellow the acidity and round out the flavors of the other ingredients. The shellfish garnish is not necessary but makes the dish a little more elegant and sumptuous.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　6 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for frying and for crab

　　1 large onion, diced

　　2 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced

　　1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and diced

　　1 slice of bread, white or wheat, diced or torn into pieces

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced (reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish)

　　1 bunch scallions, trimmed and minced (reserve 1 for garnish)

　　1 bunch cilantro, washed and roughly chopped (reserve a few nice sprigs for garnish)

　　1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

　　Juice of 3 limes (about 6 tablespoons), plus extra for crab

　　Salt and pepper

　　Hot sauce

　　Vegetable oil, for frying

　　2 corn tortillas, cut into strips

　　1/4 pound lump crabmeat, well picked

　　12 large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

　　1 small ripe avocado, peeled and sliced or diced

　　1/2 small ripe mango, peeled and diced, or 2 or 3 radishes, grated or diced

　　

Step 1

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, poblanos, and tomatillos. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the peppers are softened and the tomatillos begin to break down. Remove the skillet from heat and let it cool for a bit, then transfer the vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth.

　　

Step 2

Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Fry the pieces of bread until golden. Turn off the heat, stir in the garlic, then add the bread mixture to the blender. Add the cucumbers, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, and half the lime juice and blend until smooth.

　　

Step 3

Season the puree with a little salt, pepper, and hot sauce, and taste. Balance the seasoning, adding more lime or even cucumber if the flavor is too strong. Pour the soup into a container and chill thoroughly.

　　

Step 4

Heat 1 1/2 inches of the vegetable oil in a medium skillet until hot but not smoking. Add the tortilla strips and fry until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

　　

Step 5

When ready to serve, moisten the crabmeat with a little olive oil and lime juice. Place about 1 cup of gazpacho in the bottom of four soup plates or bowls. Place 3 shrimp and equal portions of the crabmeat in the center of each bowl. Sprinkle with avocado, mango, and cucumber, and top with crispy tortilla strips, scallions, and cilantro sprigs.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Sometimes poblanos are really spicy, sometimes they are not. Depends on what they're grown near, etc. You can usually smell when you cut into them. Or cut a small sliver. If it's way fiery, decrease the amount you use in this dish.

　　From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.