Bitten Word readers cooked every recipe in the September 2013 Bon Appétit magazine. Here's their take on Crab Toast with Lemon Aioli.
Allison: I'm in luck, I'm currently in Maine and I received the assignment of crab toast with lemon aioli. All the ingredients were readily available, nothing obscure. Given that my life is currently based out of an RV, I was a little trepedatious to sign up for the Cover to Cover challenge, since the kitchen is so tiny. Functional, but small and requires a lot of juggling. This was going to be a cake, no make that, crab walk. The final product was very good and paired well with a Pinot Grigio as we sat among the trees and relished in yet another new experience - an official cooking challenge. Would I make the dish again? Yes, but only with some modifications and if I had an abundance of crab and needed to make use of it.
Laurie: Save your arm muscles and use a food processor (if you have one) for the lovely aioli, which needed 3 tbls of lemon juice to taste bright enough to balance the crab. I used two Serrano peppers with the crab,and would try one more next time. Also, the size of the serving slices was a little unwieldy; perhaps the inner two pieces could be cut into halves, resulting in six servings per slice of bread rather than four. The leftover aioli will be heavenly on most anything ... leftover veggies, old shoes,..
Kate: The recipe reads, "This dish is only as good as the crab it’s made with; buy the best you can get" and it is absolutely true. Although the crab I used wasn't the best, the crab toast was still pretty tasty. Sliced into smaller pieces or made with toasted baguette rounds, this dish would make a great appetizer.
Jane: Heartbreak! I'm allergic to crab, as is half my family...so I made this lovely crab dish with chicken. The best part of the recipe isn't the topping, however--it's the lovely lemon-garlic mayonnaise undernearth. As for the topping, the fennel fronds and serrano pepper are oddly lost in the mix and are pretty faint. We liked it, but next time I'll probably just mix the meat with the excellent mayo.
Susie: I enjoyed preparing the recipe. Unfortunately, my husband and I were not crazy about it and found it to be bland. The crab and lemon aioli were both so rich and soft (texture-wise) that it was a bit off-putting for our tastes. We felt like it needed more crunch (perhaps some of the fennel bulb) and something extra to enhance the flavor.
Jenny: I made a couple of substitutions, jalapeño instead of Serrano chili and french peasant bread instead of sourdough because there was no fresh sourdough available from Peapod, and I didn't expect to be able to get to the grocery store, otherwise I stuck to the recipe. I attempted to make this for a party, and the party failed. This is an excellent appetizer and amazing first course that would make an excellent light lunch or tapas meal. Quick and easy to whip up and well worth it. The aioli makes plenty to have extra for dip and sandwiches for the week.
Phaedra & Jennifer: Tired and feeling a bit "crabby" we endeavored to complete our first challenge. Disappointed that it seemed too simple, this dish actually served to remind us that cooking is Zen. The fewer the ingredients, the more time to savor in the preparation and linger over the crumbs. (A glass of wine didn't hurt either.)
Lisa: I have never had crab toast before and had never worked with fennel. The aioli didn't look like it was going to work and then magically it came together beautifully. I was skeptical about the components but the whole dish put together was delicious. This was not something I would normally have made but it will definately be on my menu in the future. My husband, who doesn't like frou frou food said it was tasty.
Janie: Everybody enjoyed the recipe. The mayonaise was easy to make using a kitchenaide and assembly was easy and fast. I would make this recipe again.
Get the Crab Toast with Lemon Aioli recipe at Bon Appétit