Crab is one of those shellfish in season throughout the
spring and summer months and makes for a great starter, main course or canapé
such is its versatility.
First recorded during the Jurassic period, crabs are known
to exist in over 4500 varieties and are a good source of Vitamin B, Iron and
Zinc. It also has a number of trace
minerals including Selenium which fights cancer and increases resistance to
viral and bacterial infections. With over
1½ million tonnes of crab eaten each year and representing around 20% of all
marine crustaceans either caught or farmed, crab is obviously a favourite of
our taste buds.
I created this dish when looking for a light starter (by light
clearly I am referring to texture and taste rather than waistline) that could
also be used in other courses and [I believe] it works. As for the little bit of cream, surely all
that goodness you receive from the crab outweighs any dietary negatives?
Crab Mousse (serves 6 for a
starter)
1 Dressed Crab (brown and white meat picked over to ensure no bits of
shell)
¼ Leek (white part)
1 Shallot
2 Sticks of Celery
1 Red Pepper
1 clove Garlic
½” piece Fresh Ginger
2 Egg Yolks plus 1 extra white
1 tablespoon Double Cream
1 tablespoon Cream Cheese
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Seasoning
Squeeze Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon chopped Coriander
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Melted Butter to grease moulds
Finely grated Parmesan to coat moulds
Coriander to garnish
Finely grated Parmesan to coat moulds
Coriander to garnish
Take 6 small timbale moulds or ramekins and grease with a
little melted butter. Empty in a little
grated parmesan cheese and shake the timbale to coat the sides and bottom. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Finely dice the leek,
shallot, celery, pepper, garlic and ginger and sauté in a little olive oil on a
low heat until translucent (no browning!).
Remove from the heat, empty into a liquidiser (or food processor).
Add all of the remaining ingredients and puree to a smooth
consistency. Season to taste.
Pour into the moulds and place in a deep baking tray. Pour boiling water into the baking tray so it
reaches about half way up the moulds (bain-marie style). Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven
at 180 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until set.
Remove the foil for the last 8 minutes of the cooking time keeping an
eye on them as they do not want to brown.
Remove the moulds from the bain-marie and leave to cool on a
rack then refrigerate until you need them.
To serve, run a knife around the outside of the mousse and
invert onto a plate. Garnish with coriander
and serve with brown bread and butter and a little salad.
To beautify the plate even more, try serving with a mild
chilli, mango and tomato salsa.