SEATTLE — When the New York Times chose “23 of the Best Dishes in America,” a savory snack from Seattle made the cut - and it combines two things you might not imagine.
The Dungeness Crab Doughnut at Boat Bar is an inspired combination of savory and sweet, created by Justin Legaspi.
"I definitely think this is the perfect in-between," Legaspi said.
It is somewhere between dinner and dessert – a brioche doughnut filled with creamy crab salad.
But Legaspi wasn't aiming for national attention when he came up with the recipe. His goal was reducing kitchen waste by re-purposing byproducts from other dishes – a sustainable culture built in to Boat Bar and neighboring restaurant Bateau.
"There's always a lot of waste that's made in this industry, so (we’re) trying to make sure that we do our part to keep utilizing the things that we can,” Legaspi said. “Ultimately I think that's where the creative process really shines."
His process began when he realized leftover brioche dough makes for delicious doughnuts. Since Boat Bar specializes in seafood, the crab element fell into place.
"It was something that just kind of made sense and kind of came actually pretty quick,” Legaspi said.
The pillowy doughnuts are made fresh daily, along with the seafood filling - a Dungeness crab salad made with green chili, shallot, apple, lime, crème fraiche and aioli. Once the doughnut is stuffed, it’s glazed with a unique sauce.
"One of my favorite aspects is the salmon garam caramel, which is salmon garam we make from salmon scraps and make into a fish sauce,” Legaspi said.
It's finished with a topping of shaved horseradish and parmesan, resembling powdered sugar.
Because the flavors are so layered and rich, it’s made to be shared and eaten with a fork and knife.
For Legaspi, it's validation that sustainability leads to creativity.
"I think every step and every component is super thoughtful,” Legaspi said. “it's not just a tasting experience, but it's an experience in itself. Being in this beautiful space - there's no place this would probably happen other than here in Boat Bar."
The Dungeness Crab Doughnut costs $23. Boat Bar is located on Capitol Hill and is open daily.
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