STARTER – Morston Crab Salad

MORSTON CRAB SALAD
(serves four)

 INGREDIENTS

4 dressed crabs (white and dark meat separated and kept in separate bowls)
2 avocados 1 red chilli (finely chopped)
1 tbsp chopped coriander
juices of 2 limes
a good slug of olive oil
half a celeriac bulb (peeled and grated)
1 tsp Pommery mustard
2 tbsps mayonnaise
salt and pepper
a splash of Tabasco, Worcester sauce and lemon juice

METHOD

Chop the avocado
Firstly peel and chop the avocado into a bowl; then add the juice of the limes, followed by the coriander, and finally the chopped chilli. Season to taste and mix well. Add a good slug of olive oil and set aside.

Add to celeriac
Then in another bowl add to the grated celeriac, the mayonnaise and mustard again, season to taste, mix well and add a little olive oil if you feel necessary. Finally, with the crab, take the dark meat and season; then add a splash of tabasco, lemon juice and Worcester sauce and mix well. For the white meat, all I do is add a little lemon juice, salt and pepper and a touch of olive oil, and taste.

Layer the salad
Now place a plain round cutter about three inches (7.5cm) in diameter in the middle of the plate, and into the bottom of the cutter. Put on a good dollop of the dark meat, using the back of a spoon to flatten the crab to make it level; then, on top of this, place a dollop of the avocado mix and again flatten. Then the celeriac, and finally, on the top, the white crab meat. Now carefully lift off the cutter to reveal the wonderful layered salad.

Wrap into balls
Now, using perforated clingfilm about 10 inches (25cms) square, place a good dollop of chicken mousse in the middle, bring the four corners together and wrap up tightly tying a knot in the end, and making a tight ball.

Garnish and serve
Finally garnish the dressed lettuce and serve, maybe with a large glass of Chardonnay.