Salad of Dungeness Crab, Blood Oranges, and Shaved Fennel

Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 blood oranges
3/4 cup/about 150 ml freshly-squeezed orange juice (preferably from blood oranges)
2 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves removed and finely chopped
1/4 cup/45 ml olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 head butter lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 head oak lettuce or red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 small Fuji apple, cored, very thinly sliced on a mandoline
One 1¾-pound/795-g cooked whole Dungeness crab, meat removed from body and claws

Method:

Remove the peel and white pith from the oranges. Working over a large bowl to catch the juices and using a small sharp knife, cut the oranges between the membranes to release the segments into the bowl.  Squeeze the membranes into the bowl to extract as much liquid as possible. Strain the blood orange juice into a measuring cup and set the orange segments aside. You should have about ½ cup/120 ml of blood orange juice. Add enough regular orange juice to the accumulated blood orange juice to equal 1 1/4 cups/300 ml of juice total. 

Simmer 1 cup/250 ml of the juice in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until it is reduced down to ¼ cup/25 ml and has a thick syrup-like consistency. Set the orange reduction aside. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup/50 ml of reserved orange juice and the tarragon in a medium bowl. 

Slowly add the olive oil to the orange juice and tarragon mixture, whisking constantly to blend well. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the lettuce leaves, fennel slices, apple slices and reserved orange segments in a large bowl. Add the crab meat and toss to combine.

Toss the salad with the dressing to coat. Divide the salad among 4 bowls. Drizzle the orange reduction syrup over and around the salads and serve.