Thai Chilli Dressed Crab With Grapefruit Salad Recipes

CRAB, CHILLI & PINK GRAPEFRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Top and tail the grapefruits. Stand them on one of the flat ends and carefully trim off the skin with a knife, turning the fruit as you go. To segment them, follow the white lines with your knife and gently twist the knife out to remove each segment. Place the segments in a bowl and squeeze all the juice from the centre parts on top.
• Pick through the crabmeat and remove any bits of shell. Place it in a separate bowl with the chilli. Tear over most of the basil leaves then spoon over 2 tablespoons of the grapefruit juice and add 4 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil. Season with a little bit of salt and a pinch of pepper then gently mix together.
• Add the salad leaves to the bowl with the grapefruit segments, add a lug of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, then toss to coat each leaf. Arrange the salad over four plates, top with the grapefruit segments from the bottom of the bowl, followed by equal amounts of the dressed crab, then scatter over the reserved basil leaves. Serve with a glass of crisp white wine.

DRESSED CRAB

Steps:

• Lay the crab on its back, twist off the claws and legs, and set aside.
• Use the palm of your hand to push down on the crab. Then get your fingers between the gap where the body meets the shell and pull upwards.
• Pulling quite hard, completely separate the crab body from the shell - it should come away in one piece.
• Pull away and discard the feathery gills (also known as dead man's fingers) - these are found around the main body and inside the shell.
• Use a spoon to scoop out the brown meat from the shell and transfer it to a bowl.
• Use a heavy knife to cut the main body in half.
• Using a lobster pick or skewer, pick the white meat out of the cavities in the body and put in a separate bowl. It's worth taking your time to do this, as there is a surprising amount of meat in all the small crevices.
• Crack the claws and legs using a heavy object like a kitchen mallet or rolling pin - try to break them with one sharp tap. You don't want the shell to shatter into very small pieces as they will be difficult to find.
• Carefully remove the meat using a lobster pick or teaspoon. Discard the cartilage in the middle of the claws and legs. Put the meat in the bowl with the other white meat. Check the bowl for stray shell by shaking it from time to time - shell fragments 'ping' against the side of the bowl and can be removed.
• Give the empty shell a good scrub and use a pair of kitchen scissors to neaten the edge of the cavity. Mix the brown crabmeat with enough fresh breadcrumbs to stiffen the meat. Season with salt and pepper, the cayenne pepper and lemon juice.
• Spoon the white crabmeat back into the shell, then top with the brown meat mixture. Scatter with parsley, if you like, and serve with mayonnaise on the side, along with the extra lemon wedges and buttered brown bread or toast.

CRAB & CITRUS SALAD WITH CHARDONNAY DRESSING

Steps:

• Make the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, mustard and sugar in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil to the mixture, whisking until it has all been incorporated, then set aside.
• Put the crab in a bowl with a little of the reserved orange juice and toss together before adding the herbs, mayonnaise and some seasoning, then gently mixing.
• Toss the orange and grapefruit segments with the salad leaves and pile a little onto 2 plates. Add a slice or 2 of bread and the crab mix, then drizzle the leaves with some salad dressing.