Serves 6 to 8
One of my side gigs, aside from food writing, food photography, and teaching cooking classes, is hosting Chopped -style cooking competitions. I’m always pleasantly surprised by the dishes the teams come up with using the secret ingredients in the basket that I assemble (I don’t make it easy!). I’m often rewarded with an awesome idea from a creative competitor. During a special date-night Chopped competition, I put crackers, kani, harissa, and roasted beets in the basket, and the young lady made a delicious appetizer using the prebaked flatbread from the pantry. I loved it so much that I brought the idea home and perfected it for you here!
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated using a rasp-style grater
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon sriracha
16 ounces frozen kani (mock crab), thawed and pulled apart into thin strips
1 prebaked thin pizza crust, such as Brooklyn Bred
Togarashi Aioli or spicy mayo (see Easy Does It! below)
2 scallions (white and green parts), chopped, for garnish
3 radishes, julienned, for garnish
1 cup store-bought french-fried onions, for garnish
2 teaspoons Togarashi Seasoningor black and white sesame seeds, for garnish
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2 In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water to form a slurry. Set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, heat the sesame oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant but not browned. Add the soy sauce, honey, lime juice, sriracha, and ⅔ cup water and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture to incorporate it into the sauce. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Add the shredded kani, gently stirring with tongs until evenly coated and warmed through, 2 to 3 more minutes.
4 Place the pizza crust on a sheet pan and toast in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, or until lightly crisp.
5 Spread the aioli onto the pizza crust. Top with the kani. Garnish with the scallions, radishes, french-fried onions, and Togarashi Seasoning. Slice into wedges with a pizza cutter or knife before serving.
Easy Does It!
Instead of making your own sauce, use ¾ cup store-bought sweet sauce (kosher mock eel sauce) and store-bought spicy mayo instead of the Togarashi Aioli.