CROMER CRAB SALAD WITH HERITAGE TOMATOES

Serves 2

1 dressed Cromer crab

100g mayonnaise

1 chopped spring onion

1 tbsp chopped chives

Zest of 1 lemon

Heritage tomatoes - choose a selection of colours and shapes

½ cucumber

Salt & pepper to season

Optional garnishes - green apple matchsticks and salmon ‘caviar’

Pickling liquid:

40ml water

20ml white wine vinegar

20g sugar

2 sprigs thyme

10 peppercorns

2 bay leaves

5 juniper berries l Pickling liquid is simple to make and can be used for any ‘hard’ vegetables. Use a home ‘vacuum pickler’ if you have one or simply add all the pickling ingredients into a pan and bring to the boil, then strain and leave to cool. It can be kept in the fridge till needed - and used to pickle your other favourite vegetables. l Prepare the cucumber - peel off the skin, discard the seedy centre and cut into cubes approx 5mm square, then add to the pickling liquid and set aside. The longer you leave the vegetables in the pickling liquid - the more ‘pickled’ they will be. l ‘Pick’ the crab meat carefully with your fingers over a tray of ice to keep as cold as possible and to ensure that no shell or bones remain. l Put crab meat into a bowl and add the mayonnaise, the spring onion, the chive, and the zest of 1 lemon. Season to taste

Top Tip

Some alternative garnishes to accompany the dish and impress your guests: and mix well. Set aside in the fridge. l Roughly chop the coloured heritage tomatoes and dress with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and a small amount of chopped chives. l To present your dish - if you have one, use a ring-cutter and tap down the crab to form a round pad and gently push out onto the plate. Or, simply place a spoonful of the crab mixture in the middle of the plate. Add the tomatoes to your dish by gently laying them on top of the crab. l Drain the pickling liquid and add pickled cucumber on top of the crab. If you have them, why not garnish the dish with fresh chervil and some nasturtium leaves and flowers. l Serve and enjoy. At The Wildebeest, we serve the dish with a lobster bisque, simply poured over the crab.

• Make some green apple ‘matchsticks’ (peel, core, and halve a fresh green apple, slice thinly and cut the slices into ‘matchsticks’).

• Available from good fishmongers and larger supermarkets - ‘salmon caviar’ can be scattered on the dish for a touch of luxury (fresh salmon eggs).

FABIO MIANI is the Head Chef of The Wildebeest. See Fabio in the La Española Chefs Theatre on Saturday 9th Sept at 4pm

FOODIES FESTIVAL LA ESPAÑOLA CHEF’S THEATRE NORWICH 8-10 SEPTEMBER 2023

Chicken Schnitzel Tenders With Crispy Chilli Cucumbers

Serves 1

For the chicken

1 large chicken breast

40g plain flour

½ tsp smoked paprika

A pinch of cayenne

½ tsp fine salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

40g panko breadcrumbs

2 tsp sesame seeds

Plenty of rapeseed oil, for frying

Flaky salt, for sprinkling

A slick of mayo

A shake or two of sriracha

A brioche bun, sliced in half

A lime wedge, to serve (optional)

For the cucumber

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp crispy chilli oil,

Plus extra to serve

½ lime, juiced

½ tsp salt

1 tspmaple syrup or runny honey

2 spring onions, finely sliced lengthways chilled cucumber, sliced into ribbons l Put the chicken breast in a sandwich bag or between two pieces of cling film or baking paper and bash it until it’s about 2.5cm thick. (I tend to use a rolling pin for the bashing.) Slice the bashed-out chicken into wide strips. l Take two large plates and a wide bowl. On one plate mix the flour with the paprika, cayenne and salt. Put the beaten eggs in the bowl. On the other plate, mix together the crumbs and sesame seeds. l One by one, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, then the egg, then the crumbs. Really pack the crumbs on to the chicken, pressing them on with your hands to coat the strips all over. l Heat plenty of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the chicken pieces for about 3 minutes on each side. Don’t move them around in the pan; just leave them to really go golden and crisp up. If the crumbs are cooking too quickly, turn the heat down a little. When the chicken is cooked through, remove the strips to a plate, drain them on kitchen paper and sprinkle them with flaky salt. l While the chicken is cooking, make the cucumber. Put all the ingredients apart from the cucumber itself in a large bowl and beat them together with a fork to make a dressing. Put the cucumber strips in a sandwich bag and bash them a little with your rolling pin. Then, toss them in the dressing. They’ll happily sit in the fridge for a while before serving. l Mix the mayo with a couple of shakes of sriracha. Turn the heat back on under the chicken pan and quickly fry the cut side of each bun half, then remove the halves to a plate, toasted sides upwards. Spread a little mayo on the bottom half of the bun, then pile the hot chicken on top, then the cold, spicy cucumber. Serve with a lime wedge for squeezing into your bun just before you bite into it, if you like, and a little more crispy chilli oil.

ELEANOR STEAFEL is a features writer and columnist for the Daily Telegraph. See Eleanor in the La Española Chefs Theatre on Fri 8th at 4pm

The Art of Friday Night Dinner by Eleanor Steafel, published by Bloomsbury on 30 March 2023 (£26.00 RRP, Hardback)

Photographs © Sophie Davidson