ASIAN CORNISH CRAB CAKES

COMPLIMENTARY RECIPE

“One of my most memorable fishing experiences was being out there on the boat in Newquay Cornwall, catching spider crabs. I was completely blown away by the sheer size of them - from claw to claw, a spider crab can expand up to 2 metres long! If you can’t get your hands on spider crabs, substitute with blue-swimmer, spanner or mud crab.” - Chef Luke Nguyen

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp Dijon mustard
120 g (½ cup) mayonnaise
1 free-range egg
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cm piece ginger, finely chopped
1 makrut lime leaf, finely shredded
1 tbsp thinly sliced coriander leaves
2 tsp kumquat or lime zest
600 g picked spider crab meat
90 g (1½ cups) panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
50 g butter
125 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
DRESSING
100 ml Chinese black vinegar
100 g palm sugar
4 sprigs of dill
SALAD
1 cucumber, thinly shaved lengthways
6 baby radishes, finely sliced
10 sprigs of coriander
10 sprigs of dill
1 lime, zested

METHOD

Chilling time 1 hour
Pickling time 30 minutes

Place the mustard, mayonnaise, egg and fish sauce in a large bowl and use a hand held whisk to combine well. Stir in the spring onions, red onion, ginger, kaffir lime leaf, coriander and kumquat zest, then gently fold in the crab and breadcrumbs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, to make the dressing, place the vinegar, sugar, dill and 100 ml water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stand until cool. Add the cucumber and baby radish, toss to coat well, then stand for 30 minutes or until lightly pickled.

Using slightly damp hands, divide the crab mixture into 8 portions and shape into firm discs.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, then add half the butter and oil. When the butter is foaming, fry half the crab cakes for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel. Wipe the pan clean and repeat with the remaining butter, oil and crab cakes.

To serve, drain the pickled cucumber and radish from the dressing and place in a bowl. Add the dill and coriander sprigs and toss gently. Place the crab cakes on a serving platter, then top each with a little salad. Using a microplane, shave a little lime zest over the top, then drizzle with a little dressing and serve immediately.