Crab Cakes with Salad and Hazelnut Dressing

June is a month for crab, and what nicer way to eat this delicate seafood than in crab cakes? The hazelnut dressing adds an extra zing to what is already a delectable morsel. Serve with salad leaves and lime wedges for a tasty starter.

Ingredients:

150ml milk
150ml single cream
1 slice of each - onion, carrot, celery
1 bay leaf
3 black peppercorns
25g butter plus extra for cooling
25g flour
sea salt and ground white pepper to season
2 eggs, beaten
25g Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
finely grated zest of half a lemon
450g white crab meat in large chunks
5ml chopped hazelnuts
125g ciabatta breadcrumbs
clarified butter or frying
Salad leaves and lime wedges to serve

For the Hazelnut Dressing:

30ml white wine vinegar
10ml runny honey
60ml olive oil
30ml hazelnut oil

Method:

Put the milk, cream, vegetable slices, bay leaf and peppercorns in a pan and slowly bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and put to one side to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the milk. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook gently for 1 minute, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the flavoured milk. Bring to the boil and continue to cook, stirring until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and season with sea salt and ground white pepper to taste. Smear the top with a little extra butter to prevent a skin forming. Allow to cool.

Mix the eggs, cheese and lemon zest into the cold sauce so they are well combined. Very carefully mix in the hazelnuts and chunks of crab meat, taking care not to break up the crab meat. Chill for at least one hour.

Gently coat one large serving spoon of the crab mixture with the breadcrumbs. Scoop the breadcrumbs over and around the crab meat to help shape the cakes. Only mould the cakes sufficiently to make the crumbs stick. Repeat the process with the remaining crab mixture. Put on a baking sheet and chill in the fridge, uncovered, for 2-3 hours.

Heat the clarified butter in a frying pan and fry the crab cakes, turning after 1-2 minutes, until the cakes are golden on each side. Take care not to overcook.

To make the dressing, shake all the ingredients together in a screw-top jar. Serve the cakes with salad leaves. Drizzle with the dressing and add lime wedges on the side.