This simple recipe makes a seafood salad with a nice interplay of flavor and texture. The addition of softened panko crumbs extends it without altering the delicate seafood flavors. Since this is a well-mixed, mayo-based salad, you can use one of the more economical grades of crabmeat. Even imitation crabmeat would work if that is what is easiest to find and fits your budget best. If you are using real crab, you will need to pick through the crabmeat to ensure that all bits of shell and cartilage are removed. They really are inevitable, and better that you discover these before your guests do. You can use medium or small shrimp, but they must be cooked, peeled, and deveined. It is easy to find shrimp already prepared in this way in many grocery stores, or you can do the work starting with raw shrimp. There is some prep work to do with the vegetables, so break out the chef knife and hone your chopping skills. For food safety, use a different cutting board and knife for the vegetables than you used for any raw seafood.
