Soft shell crab salad

BEEN TO JULIA’S? OF COURSE YOU HAVE. THE RESTAURANT, WHICH STARTED LIFE IN 1978 AS A TREE TRUNK TABLE IN THE SAND HAS, UNDER SHELLEY PORTON’S DIRECTION SINCE 1992, AND RUI ANJOS’ MANAGEMENT, BECOME THE ESSENTIAL DESTINATION FOR THOSE HUNGRY FOR GREAT FOOD AND WITH A LOVE FOR LIVE MUSIC AND BEING AS CLOSE TO THE OCEAN AS IT GETS. WE ASKED CHEF FILIPE TO SHARE A FAVOURITE RECIPE FROM HIS REPERTOIRE

Photography: KATHRYN BARNARD

SERVES 1 PREP 1 ½ HOURS

Ingredients

 2 soft shell crabs

 oil for frying

 100g self-raising flour

 1g salt

 1g pepper

 25ml fizzy water

SPICY MANGO SAUCE

 1 egg yolk

 5g Dijon mustard

 50ml olive oil

 20ml mango purée

 3g chilli purée

PICKLED ONIONS

 100ml water

 50ml red wine vinegar

 90g sugar

 50g red onion, finely sliced

NOW THE SALAD BIT

 100g chicory lettuce, finely shredded

 50g mango cubes, cut from a fresh mango

 50g avocado, cut into cubes

 5g red chilies, chopped finely

 25g sliced pickled onions, made earlier

 20g cherry tomatoes, quartered

Method

1 First, make the pickles, and you can do this well in advance. In a medium-sized saucepan, mix the water, red wine vinegar and sugar together, bring to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat, add the sliced red onions and simmer for one minute. Remove from the heat and set on one side for an hour to cool. Drain off the pickling liquid.

2 In the meantime, make the tempura batter by mixing together the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir in the fizzy water till smooth.

3 In another small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the mustard and add the oil slowly but steadily, beating all the time. You need to achieve a mayonnaise-like consistency. Stir in the mango and chilli purées.

4 Heat the oil. Dip the soft shell crabs in the tempura batter and fry until crispy – around two minutes.

5 Carefully mix together the salad ingredients and centre on a serving dish and top with the crispy crabs. Dress with a few lines of spicy mango sauce.

Filipe Mendonça, who joined the Julia’s team at the end of last year, takes pride is producing great dishes from locally-sourced ingredients. He’s worked in the UK for eight years, in Spain, Angola and Mozambique, and has a particular passion for seafood. Tiger prawns in a spicy sauce with African rice, and crab tartar are among Julia’s most in-demand dishes.

Words: KARIN BARNHOORN