Crab, Fried Egg and Coastal Vegetables

Wed, 23 May 2018

Cleaning, cracking and shelling crab is most definitely a chore in the kitchen but this morning we're taking the difficulty out of cooking crustaceans with Masterchef judge Robin Gill. 

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:
18 asparagus spears
300g fresh white crab meat
2 tablespoons Nori Powder (see page xx)
olive oil
50g sea purslane
100g samphire
18 radishes
50g Pickled Rock Samphire (see page XX)
juice of 1 lemon
50g unsalted butter, diced
6 eggs (we use CackleBean)
200g Brown Crab Mayo (see recipe for Crab, Nori and Potato on page xx)
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Remove the tough woody ends from the asparagus spears. Lay the asparagus on a flat tray, season with a pinch of salt and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Put a ridged grill pan on to heat up.

Meanwhile, season the white crab meat with a little of the nori powder, salt and olive oil to taste. Set aside.

Blanch the sea purslane and samphire together in a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain and refresh in iced water. Cut half of the radishes into quarters and the rest into thin round slices. Put the sea purslane, samphire and radishes into a mixing bowl with the pickled rock samphire. Season with a pinch of salt, the lemon juice and a little olive oil, and toss together gently.

Place the asparagus on the raging hot grill pan and scorch on all sides for 12 minutes or until the asparagus spears are blistered and blackened. Remove from the pan and cool slightly, then cut each spear in half lengthways and season with salt and pepper.

Place a couple of large non-stick frying pans over a medium heat. Add the butter and melt it. When it turns slightly golden, crack the eggs into the pans and season each with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Fry the eggs to your liking.

Place a generous spoonful of brown crab mayo in the centre of each plate. Top with a fried egg, placing it gently, and add a dollop of the white crab meat (don't cover the egg yolk). Scatter radishes, coastal vegetables and asparagus around. Finish by dusting the entire dish with the remaining nori powder.