Brown crab on toast
Crab on toast is a lesson in using the whole crab. The brown meat from the body is intense and rich, so it becomes the base layer, and the sweet white claw meat is piled on top in loose flakes so it stays light. Ask the counter for a cooked crab and we pick both meats free, kept separate so each can do its job.
Our version takes its cue from Mitch Tonks, the Devon restaurateur and fishmonger behind The Seahorse and Rockfish, whose fresh crab bruschetta is published on the Rockfish site. He is one of the great champions of British crab and his version is worth a read.
Ingredients
- 100g white crab meat and 50g brown crab meat (ask the counter to pick a cooked crab, free, or buy picked meat)
- 2 thick slices of sourdough
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- juice and zest of half a lemon
- a pinch of cayenne
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more to finish
- a few fennel fronds or chives, chopped
- sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Work the brown meat to a smooth paste with the mayonnaise, mustard, half the lemon juice and the cayenne. Taste it, it should be rich with a clear edge of lemon.
- Pick over the white meat for shell, keeping the flakes as large as you can. Dress it with the olive oil, the rest of the lemon juice and a pinch of salt, folding twice at most.
- Griddle or toast the sourdough until the edges char, then rub lightly with the cut side of a garlic clove if you like.
- Spread the brown meat paste right to the edges of the hot toast.
- Pile the white meat on top in a loose mound. Do not press it down, the height is the plate.
- Finish with lemon zest, the herbs, a grind of pepper and a thread of olive oil.
To serve: One slice per person with a watercress salad alongside. Eat it within minutes of building so the toast keeps its crunch. To drink, a Muscadet or a dry fino.
Shop this recipe: brown crab meat and the brown crab hub. Crabs picked at the counter, free.
Photo: cyclonebill, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.
