Recipe - Souffled Crab, Saffron and Spring Onion Tart

Souffled Crab, Saffron and Spring Onion Tart

PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes | COOKING TIME: 1-hour Serve this straight from the oven while it is still slightly puffed up.

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry case: • 80g chilled butter cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing • 275g plain flour, plus extra for dusting ½ tsp salt • 80g chilled lard (or white vegetable fat) cubed • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten For the tart filling: • Generous pinch of saffron • 175 ml whole milk plus 1 tbsp warmed • 75g butter • 25g plain flour • Bunch of spring onions very thinly sliced • 350g fresh white crabmeat • 40g finely grated parmesan • 2tbsp finely chopped parsley • 3 large eggs, separated • 150ml double cream

Head chef Michael Sargent

METHOD

To make the pastry case: 1. Grease a 27cm, loose-bottomed fluted tart tin that is 3-4cm deep with butter. 2. Sift the flour and the salt into a bowl. 3. Add the butter and lard and work into the mixture until it represents a fine breadcrumb. 4. Stir in three tablespoons of cold water and bring together into a ball. 5. Turn out and knead briefly. 6. On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry and use to line the tart tin. 7. Trim the edges, prick the base with a fork and chill for 20 mins. 8. Pre-heat the oven to 200C, 180C fan or gas mark 6. 9. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and baking beans and cook for 15 mins until the edges are biscuit coloured. 10. Remove the paper and beans, return to the oven for another five mins. 11. Brush the base of the tart case with the egg white and then return to the oven for 4-5 mins. 12. Remove from the oven and set aside.

1. Put the crab on its back, on a board and break off the claws. 2. Twist off the thinner legs. Try to remove the knuckle joints with them and discard. This makes it easier to remove the white crab meat from the body later. 3. Lift the tail flap, which will be pressed close to the belly of the crab, break it off and discard. 4. Push the blade of a large knife in between the body and back shell (at the point in which you broke off the tail) and twist the blade to release the body. 5. Holding the back shell down, put your thumbs on each side of the body section and press firmly upwards to release it. Lift it all away from the back shell. 6. Pull off and discard the feathery looking gills (often called dead man’s fingers) from the body section and the small sac at the top of the crab’s body. 7. Scoop out the brown meat from the centre of the body, keep separate from the white meat. 8. Cut the body in half. Remove the white meat from the little channels with a crab pick or a skewer. 9. Crack the shell of the claws with a hammer and take out the meat, removing the thin bone concealed with in the meat of the claws. 10. Scoop out the rest of the brown meat from the back shell, and you’re ready to go!

To make the tart:

1. Lower the oven temperature to 190C, 170C fan or gas mark 5. 2. Put the saffron into a small bowl and cover with 1tbsp of warm milk, set this aside. 3. Melt 50g of butter and add the flour, cook this gently for one minute. 4. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in 175ml milk. Return to the heat and bring to the boil. 5. Stir until smooth, lower the heat and simmer very gently for a few minutes, stirring to thicken. 6. Meanwhile melt the remaining butter in another pan, add the spring onion and fry for a minute until just soft. Stir into the sauce with the saffron milk, crab meat, parmesan, parsley and some salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. 7. Mix the egg yolks with cream and stir into the cooled crab mixture. 8. In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites into soft peaks. Fold into the crab mixture with a large spoon. Pour into the pastry case and bake for 30-35mins until set, puffed up and golden brown.