Crab-Stuffed Zucchini Flowers with Mustard Butter Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chives thinly sliced
• 8 ounces peekytoe crabmeat 
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche 
• 0.5 tablespoon dijon mustard 
• 1  lemon zest juiced
• 4 servings sea salt and pepper white freshly ground fine
• 6 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 1 tablespoon water 
• 0.5 tablespoon grain mustard whole
• 12 large zucchini flowers 
• 4 servings piment d'espelette 

Equipment

• sauce pan
• whisk
• mixing bowl
• pot

Directions

1. Combine the crabmeat, crème fraîche, lemon juice and zest, and chives in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt, white pepper and piment d'Espelette. Using a small spoon or a piping bag, gently stuff each zucchini flower three-quarters full with the crab mixture.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until the all of the butter is emulsified.
3. Whisk in both mustards and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set the butter sauce aside and keep warm.
4. Place a large pot filled with 2 inches of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
5. Place the stuffed zucchini flowers in a steamer insert, then set the steamer in the pot. Cover and steam until the crab filling is hot, about 3 minutes.
6. Place 3 zucchini flowers on each of 4 plates. Stir the chives into the mustard butter sauce, spoon the sauce over and around the stuffed flowers and serve immediately.
7. Reprinted with permission from Avec Ripert: A Culinary Journey with Eric Ripert by Eric Ripert with Angie Mosier and Soa Davies, (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.