Crab Tartlet
Caramelized Onion Purée, Toma Cheese, Black Pepper Sabayon, Oregano Oil, Kinome Leaf, Chive Blossoms
Chef Christian Hernandez of Barbacana | Houston, TX
“The richness of the onions and crab have enough heft and cushion to soften the Fresh Origins Kinome Leaf and allow it to actually complement the tart rather than clash with it. The chive flowers are an excellent pop of flavor that adds even more savoriness and a hit of sharp allium spice.” — Chef Christian Hernandez
Adapted by StarChefs | October 2026 | Photo: Caroline Fontenot
INGREDIENTS
Black Pepper Sabayon:
35 grams egg yolks
20 grams ground black pepper
600 grams rice bran oil
10 grams house vinegar
Kosher salt
Tartlet Shell:
150 grams all-purpose flour
120 grams butter
75 grams miso
60 grams powdered sugar
30 grams cornstarch
2 grams kosher salt
Beurre Monté:
150 grams butter
Caramelized Onion Purée:
Butter
Julienned onions
Sherry vinegar
Rice bran oil
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Picked crab meat
1 slice Toma cheese
Fresh oregano
3 Fresh Origins Kinome Leaves
3 Fresh Origins Garlic Chive Blossoms
Oregano oil
METHOD
For the Black Pepper Sabayon:
Heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 150°F. In a vacuum bag, combine yolks and pepper. Seal and cook sous vide 1 hour. Pass through a fine mesh sieve. Transfer to a food processor. With machine running, stream in oil and vinegar. Process until mixture is fully emulsified. Season with salt. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Tartlet Shell:
Heat oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead until dough comes together. Roll out dough and transfer to desired size silicone tart molds. Bake until golden brown. Let cool and reserve.
For the Beurre Monté:
In a sauté pan over medium heat, bring 25 grams water to a simmer. Set aside. Add half of the butter to a blender. With the machine running, slowly stream in hot water until just combined. Add remaining butter. Blend until mixture is fully emulsified. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Caramelized Onion Purée:
In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent. Weigh and transfer twenty five-percent of mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate. Transfer remaining onions back to pan over low heat. Cook additional 4 hours. Transfer to a blender. Purée until smooth. Season with vinegar and oil. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a small saucepan over low flame, heat Caramelized Onion Purée. Keep warm. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm crab meat and desired amount Beurre Monté. Reduce heat and keep warm. Fill Tartlet Shells with desired amount warmed Caramelized Onion Purée followed by 1 spoonful reserved Caramelized Onion Purée onions and warmed crab meat. Fold cheese alongside Tartlet Shell. Pipe desired amount Black Pepper Sabayon over top. Garnish with oregano, Fresh Origins Kinome Leaf, and Fresh Origins Chive Blossoms. Finish with drizzle oregano oil.
