Welsh Brown Crab Tart
Welsh Brown Crab Tart by Hywel Jones, Executive Chef at Lucknam Park
“The reason I chose this product is that Welsh crab is some of the best crab I have ever come across. It’s best season is between April and November so a perfect time of year for it.”
Hywel Jones, Executive Chef at Lucknam Park
From Rhyl in the North to Cardiff in the South the dark, churning and crystal clear waters of coastal Wales contain some of the best fish and shellfish in the world.
Hywel Jones showcases Welsh Brown crab in his crab tart.
Ingredients
Serves 6
• 1 x 1kg Welsh brown crab (dressed or alive)
Pickle
• 150g diced Ironbark pumpkin
• ¼ of a finely diced deseeded red chilli
• ½ a small shallot finely diced
• 25g caster sugar
• 25g cider vinegar
• Splash of rapeseed oil
Brown Crab Mayonnaise
• 50g brown crab meat
• 50g mayonnaise
• Cayenne pepper and lemon juice to taste
Crab Jelly
• Reserved shells from crab
• 100g finely diced mirepoix vegetables
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 50g tomato concentrate
• Few sprigs of tarragon
• 12 coriander seeds
• Splash of Pernod, cognac and white wine
• Splash of rapeseed oil
• 6g of agar agar
To Serve
• 6 puff pastry tartlets
• Few sprigs sea purslane and fennel cress
• Small quantity British salted caviar
• Small amount of yuzu purée
Method
Crab Meat
1. If using a live crab dispatch before cooking.
2. Gently simmer in well salted water for mapproximately 10 minutes per kilo in weight. Remove from water and allow to cool a little.
3. Carefully prepare the crab extracting both the white and brown meat and set aside.
Pickle
1. Gently cook the shallot and pumpkin in the oil until softened.
2. Add the sugar, vinegar and chilli and cook to a chutney consistency, season and set aside.
Crab Jelly
1. Break the retained crab shells and brown in the rapeseed oil in a pan over a moderate heat.
2. Remove from pan and add the mirepoix vegetables, garlic, seeds and tarragon. Caramelise gently then add the tomatoes and tomato concentrate, cook until dry.
3. Add shells back to the pan and deglaze with the alcohols, reduce to a glaze.
4. Add enough water to cover shells, bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, skimming occasionally.
5. Pass through a muslin cloth, reduce by half to concentrate flavour and chill.
6. Mix 225ml of the stock with 6g of agar agar and bring to the boil, pour immediately on to a flat not stick tray and allow to set.
To Serve
1. Divide the pumpkin pickle between the 6 tart cases.
2. Bind the white crab meat, the brown crab mayonnaise and spoon gently on top of the pickle.
3. Cut jelly into discs and carefully drape a disc of jelly over each tart.
4. Garnish with a little caviar, a few dots of yuzu and the purslane and fennel cress.
