CROMER CRAB SALAD WITH HERITAGE TOMATOES, OPTIONAL LOBSTER BISQUE

Here’s a signature seasonal recipe for you to try at home from Fabio Miani, Head Chef at The Wildebeest in Stoke Holy Cross, a popular 2 AA Rosette Restaurant in the South Norfolk village of Stoke Holy Cross. Fabio is often inspired by his Italian heritage, he believes in using the best ingredients, the right pan, subtly using herbs and spices to season during cooking and, most importantly of course, to TASTE while cooking. This dish uses Norfolk’s famous Cromer Crabs and another of Fabio’s favourites - Heritage Tomatoes.

Light and punchy, a true taste of summer in Norfolk

INGREDIENTS

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

METHOD

First, make the pickling liquid. 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.

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).

‘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.

Put crab meat into a bowl and add the mayonnaise, the spring onion, the chives, and the zest of 1 lemon. Season to taste and mix well.

Set aside in the fridge.

Roughly chop the coloured Heritage Tomatoes and dress with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and a small amount of chopped chives.

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.

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.

Here’s some other alternative garnishes to accompany the dish and impress your guests.

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).

Serve and enjoy.

At The Wildebeest, we serve the dish with a Lobster Bisque, simply poured over the crab.

Chef Recipe - it's got summer written all over it