A Hot Day & A Relaxing Meal in the Garden......

You might have noticed but I have been a little absent over the last 3 weeks. Posts were published thanks to a little organisation and the ability to schedule them in advance, but responses to comments and queries have been lacking. The reason being that my family have been out visiting from Scotland. I don't know where the time has gone but the last 3 weeks literally flew by...but isn't it always the way. That being said they were a fantastic 3 weeks cram-packed with as much family time as possible which of course included lots of great food, wine, conversations and laughs around the table! Now however, it's back to just the 3 of us and the house is quiet, so to cheer myself up I treated us to possibly one of the best things I can think of to eat in the summer – potted crab!

Ever the purist, this is the ideal food for my husband as it is crab (one of his 'Top 3') and butter enhanced with a little lemon, chilli and garlic and without all of the mess involved with eating an actual whole crab (although we enjoy that as well). This is food that's meant to be eaten outside, ideally at the beach but failing that in the garden, so that's exactly what we did.....enjoyed with a nicely chilled bottle of white wine and plenty of crusty bread.

Potted Crab {My Way!}

Potted Crab or more precisely, crab drenched in flavoured butter, chilled and then slathered onto crusty bread..... Whoever came up with this is a genius!

This is my version of Potted Crab which I've spiced up slightly with some fresh chilli and added a touch of garlic too as we are both garlic lovers when it comes to crab! If you prefer however, you can miss it out and instead add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg – the choice is yours! I have however stuck to the traditional garnish of a bay leaf as I have a bay plant outside my front door, needing to be used, but I can't get the niggling idea out of my head to one day try a fresh Kaffir lime leaf instead – just to really finish off the fusion flavour in this traditional British classic!!!

Serves 4 {Don't be fooled by the small pot – this is rich and decadent!}

225g/ 8oz fresh crab meat

140g/ 5oz butter

1 red chilli, finely chopped (de-seeded if you prefer a milder flavour)

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 small clove of garlic, crushed

Pinch of salt

1 or 2 bay leaves

Crusty bread to serve

Lemon wedges (optional)

Check the crab for any pieces of shell then place in a small bowl. In a small pan melt roughly 100g of the butter along with the chilli, lemon zest and juice, the garlic and a pinch of salt. Once it's melted add the crab meat then transfer to a container or individual ramekin dishes. Gently press down (I find it easiest to use the back of a spoon). Melt the remaining butter then using a small spoon remove any frothy white scum. Gently spoon the clear, golden butter over the crab mixture leaving behind any white solids. Finish by carefully placing the bay leaf on top, then chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Serve in the sun with plenty of crusty bread and a wedge or two of lemon!

*One Year Ago - Tomato Salad & Zucchini Fritters with Basil Mayo