Crab cakes

Name: Crab cakes
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 500g Maris Piper or other floury potatoes, peeled and chopped; 2 spring onions, finely chopped; 300g white crabmeat; a pinch cayenne pepper; ½ lemon, zested; 75g plain flour; 2 eggs, beaten; 100g panko or dried breadcrumbs; vegetable oil, for frying; watercress, to serve; 1 egg yolk; 2 tsp Dijon mustard; ½ lemon, juiced; 120ml olive oil; 50g brown crabmeat; 1 tbsp capers, drained and chopped; finely chopped to make 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley; 6 cornichons, finely chopped; finely chopped to make 1 tsp dill or chives

Preparation and cooking time
- Total time40 mins
- + chilling
Easy
Serves 8

Ingredients

500g Maris Piper or other floury potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
300g white crabmeat
a pinch cayenne pepper
½ lemon, zested
75g plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
100g panko or dried breadcrumbs
vegetable oil, for frying
watercress, to serve

TARTARE SAUCE

1 egg yolk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
½ lemon, juiced
120ml olive oil
50g brown crabmeat
1 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
finely chopped to make 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
6 cornichons, finely chopped
finely chopped to make 1 tsp dill or chives

Method

STEP 1
To start the tartare sauce, whizz the egg yolk, mustard and lemon in a jug or tall container using a stick blender. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, a little at a time, and continue blending until the mixture starts to emulsify. When all the oil has been added, fold in the brown crabmeat and check for seasoning, adding a little more lemon juice, salt and pepper or a dash of water if the mayonnaise is too thick. Cover and chill.
STEP 2
Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water until very tender, then drain and leave to steam-dry. Push through a ricer if you have one, or use a sieve to remove any small lumps. Tip the mash into a bowl with the spring onions, white crabmeat, cayenne and lemon zest. Season well and fold in 2 tbsp of the mayonnaise mixture. Stir briefly until just combined, then mould into eight crab cakes. Put on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Chill for 30 minutes until firm.
STEP 3
Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Fold the remaining ingredients for the tartare sauce into the remaining mayonnaise mixture.
STEP 4
Once the crab cakes are firm, lightly dust in the flour, then dip into the egg and coat in the breadcrumbs. Heat a 1⁄2cm depth of oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the crab cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden, crisp and piping hot. Serve with the tartare sauce and watercress.