Asparagus & Crab Salad Melts with Old Bay Seasoning

Ingredients:
3 asparagus spears
250g crabmeat, any shells or cartilage removed
80ml finely chopped celery
60ml finely chopped red bell pepper
1 spring onion, finely chopped
20ml lemon juice
15ml mayonnaise
2.5ml Old Bay seasoning
2-5 dashes Tabasco sauce
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 whole-wheat English muffins, split and toasted
125ml shredded cheddar cheese

Method:
Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the grill.

Place asparagus in a medium microwave-safe bowl with 5ml water. Cover and microwave about 30 seconds until tender. Add crab, celery, bell pepper, spring onion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, Tabasco sauce and pepper; stir to combine.

Place English muffin halves, cut-side up, on a large baking sheet. Spread a generous 60ml of the crab salad on each muffin half and sprinkle each with a dollop of cheese. Grill for 3 to 6 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Old Bay Seasoning

30ml bay leaf powder

30ml celery salt

15ml powdered mustard

10ml ground black pepper

10ml ground ginger

5ml white pepper

5ml ground nutmeg

5ml ground cloves

5ml ground allspice

2.5ml chilli flake

2.5ml ground mace

2.5ml ground cardamom

2.5ml ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in an airtight jar and mix thoroughly. Keep sealed in a cool, dark place until ready to use.

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.

Crab and Asparagus Fettuccine

Crab adds a wonderful splash of flavour to this fresh pasta dish. It works well as a starter for a special meal, or as a perfect quick supper. Adding the browned butter at the end may seem a little over the top, but it is essential for that magical touch to complete the dish.

Ingredients:
30ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
5ml fresh thyme leaves
10ml anchovy essence
150ml dry white wine
150ml fish stock
450g asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
350g white crab meat
750g fresh fettuccine
50g unsalted butter
juice of half a lemon
30-40ml chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan. Add the shallot and cook gently over low heat for about 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir in the thyme, anchovy essence, wine and fish stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring to the boil a large pan of salted water. Add the asparagus and cook for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Drain the asparagus, reserving the cooking liquid, which you can return to the pan. Refresh the asparagus under cold running water. Stir the asparagus and crab meat into the reduced shallot liquid.

Return the reserved asparagus cooking liquid to the boil. Tip in the fettuccine and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Drain and quickly refresh under cold running water. When drained, stir into the asparagus and crab sauce.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook until nutty and golden, but not burnt. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the parsley, gently whisking to combine. Pour over the fettuccine and crab mixture and toss gently to combine. season to taste and serve at once.

Crab and Saffron Tarts

Crab, which comes into season in April and lasts through the summer until the end of October, is one of the most versatile of seafoods. It can be used in salads, sandwiches, fish pies, pasta dishes, crab cakes and tarts. It requires very little enhancement to create delicious dishes with these delicious crustaceans, which have been caught and eaten for as long as can be remembered. Crab meat is a good source of many minerals, including selenium has anti-cancer potential and helps resist viral and bacterial infections. It also has useful amounts of B vitamins, iron and zinc.

This is a quick and easy tart that's great for a lunch or a starter when entertaining.

Ingredients:

1 x 375g pack ready-rolled shortcrust pastry

a pinch of saffron

2 egg, beaten

125g mascarpone

small handful of parsley, chopped, plus a few leaves to garnish

300-350g crab meat, or 2 x 170g tins white crab meat, drained

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

cherry tomatoes, halved to garnish

Method:

Line 6 x 10cm tart cases with shortcrust pastry. Prick the bases lightly with a fork and trim the edges. Place the lined cases in the fridge and chill for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Cover the tart cases with baking paper and fill the centres with baking beans. Blind bake for ten minutes, then remove the paper and beans. Cook for a further 10 minutes until golden.

Soak the saffron in 15ml just boiled water and set aside for 5 minutes.

Mix together the eggs, mascarpone, soaked saffron and saffron water. Add the chopped parsley to this mixture. Fold in the crab meat and season well.

Divide the mixture between the pastry cases and bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature, topped with halved cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of parsley leaves.