Tian of Cromer Crab

Chris Hyde from North-East Norfolk’s Wroxham Barns at the heart of the Broads rustles up a delicious shellfish appetiser.

INGREDIENTS
One very large or two medium dressed crabs
500g fresh or frozen peas
Sea salt
1 large garlic clove
20 washed mint leaves
600ml good chicken stock
50ml olive oil
125ml extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
3 tsp smoked sweet paprika
2 tsp smoked hot paprika
Black pepper
2 fresh lemons
White pepper
284ml tub of crème fraiche
a handful of pea shoots (optional)
4 crab claws (optional)

METHOD
Remove the brown and white meat from the crab shell, putting them in separate bowls. Chill until later.

For the velouté, cook the peas until tender in salted boiling water and drain. Cool under a cold running tap and drain when cold. Blend peas in a liquidiser with garlic, mint, olive oil and chicken stock to desired consistency. Pass through a fine sieve for a smoother consistency. Cover and chill until later.

For the paprika oil dressing, heat olive oil and add garlic and cook gently until golden but not burnt.  Remove from heat and carefully whisk in sherry vinegar, both types of paprika and a little salt. Set to one side.

Season both crab meats with salt, finely ground black pepper and lemon juice to taste separately.  Also in another bowl season the crème fraiche with sea salt and finely ground white pepper to taste.

Take four chilled wide soup plates and using a ring mould in the centre of the plate, put equal layers separately of brown crabmeat, white crabmeat and crème fraiche, flattening each one in between. Smooth off top to finish. Remove ring carefully and prepare the other three plates similarly.

Carefully pour the chilled pea soup around and drizzle with a little of the paprika oil. A few pea shoots and a crab claw on each tian looks and tastes good too.

CHEFS TIP
If you don’t have a ring mould, buy some drainpipe, cut off a section and sterilise it well before use.


WROXHAM BARNS
Entertaining adults and families alike for over 25 years, Wroxham Barns is an icon for Norfolk arts and crafts as well as a discerning shopping and eating destination. Part of the latest phase in its development, owner Ian Russell has completely face-lifted the restaurant, making it very much a place to visit in its own right. With Head Chef Chris at the helm committed to local produce, they even tell their guests all about their producers and suppliers. Keeping the trademark informality and family friendly welcome, there is very much something for everyone. The lighter main menu is joined by a daily specials board making the best of what’s on the market, it might be honey roast duck breast with a potato cake and braised red cabbage or some summery fettucine pasta with sun blush tomatoes, basil and red peppers; alternatively smoked haddock chowder or rare breed sausages with potato mash, savoy cabbage and mustard gravy.

One of a kind, the warm welcome which the hard-working happy team give visitors to the Barns made them the winners of the England for Excellence Regional Award for Outstanding Customer Service in East Anglia 2007, rather impressive when it was across the whole of the region’s tourism industry.

Wroxham Barns, Tunstead Road, Hoveton near Wroxham, Norfolk  
T: 01603 783762