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1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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2
Add the crab and cook for 13 minutes.
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3
Drain and let cool.
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4
Lift the carapace and clean the crab of all the butter and lungs inside.
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5
Break the crab in half.
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6
Separate the legs from the body and crack them open.
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7
Extract all the leg meat carefully; try to keep it intact.
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8
Next, split the body and pick out all its meat.
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9
Go through all the crabmeat after it is picked to remove any stray shell fragments.
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10
Set the crabmeat aside in the refrigerator.
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11
Remove any tough stems from the watercress.
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12
Wash and dry it well.
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13
Peel and finely dice the shallots.
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14
Carefully peel the zest from the lemons with a sharp vegetable peeler, being sure to take only the yellow peel and none of bitter white pith.
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15
If you do end up with some pith, pare it away with a sharp paring knife.
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16
Cut the pieces of zest crosswise into a julienne and combine with the shallots in a small bowl.
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17
Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper.
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18
Squeeze the lemons and add about 5 tablespoons of the juice to the bowl with the shallots and lemon zest.
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19
Add the Champagne vinegar, mix well, and let sit for at least 1/2 hour to macerate.
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20
Whisk in the olive oil; taste for salt, pepper, and acid and adjust as needed.
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21
When you are ready to serve the salad, remove any blemished outer leaves from the endives.
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22
Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the cores, then cut lengthwise into strips.
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23
Put them in a serving bowl with the watercress, crab, and vinaigrette and toss well.
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24
Arrange on a platter or individual plates and serve immediately.
