Crab toastie

Name: Crab toastie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 16 min
Yield: Makes 3 toasties (serves 6-9)
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 125g scallops, defrosted if frozen; 100g cooked brown crabmeat; 75g free-range egg whites (from approximately 3 eggs); 50ml double cream; Finely grated zest 1 lemon, plus a little juice; 75g cooked white crabmeat; Large pinch finely chopped chives, plus extra to serve; 6 slices white bread; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; Knob of unsalted butter; Specialist kit; Piping bag with a 1-2cm nozzle/hole

Portion size: Makes 3 toasties (serves 6-9)
Hands-on time 10 min, plus chilling. Oven time 6 min
Difficulty: easy

Recipe by: Mike Naidoo

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Chef Mike Naidoo’s unashamedly luxurious crab toastie recipe elevates the classic crab sandwich to Christmas-party-with-bubbles-worthy heights.

Mike’s story: He started out, age 15, working at a local fish and chip shop in the New Forest, then in restaurants in Hampshire before moving on to Jason Atherton’s Michelin-starred Pollen Street Social in London. Now Mike is executive chef and co-owner of Catch at The Old Fish Market in Weymouth. Catch (upstairs) celebrates local, sustainable fish and seafood; downstairs is fishmonger Weyfish and seafood-to-go joint Hatch on the Harbour. @catchattheoldfishmarket

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Ingredients

125g scallops, defrosted if frozen
100g cooked brown crabmeat
75g free-range egg whites (from approximately 3 eggs)
50ml double cream
Finely grated zest 1 lemon, plus a little juice
75g cooked white crabmeat
Large pinch finely chopped chives, plus extra to serve
6 slices white bread
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Knob of unsalted butter

Specialist kit

Piping bag with a 1-2cm nozzle/hole

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Method

Pat the scallops dry, ensuring all excess water is removed (this is especially important if they were frozen and defrosted). Put the scallops and brown crabmeat in a food processor and whizz until smooth.
Put the scallop paste into a fine sieve, then use a dough scraper or a metal spoon to scrape and push the mixture through it into a bowl. Mix in the egg whites using a spatula, followed by the double cream. Add a pinch of salt, the lemon zest and a little lemon juice. Fold in the white crabmeat and chives, then transfer the mixture to a piping bag. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill (see Make Ahead).
Heat the oven to 150°C fan/ gas 3½. Evenly pipe the mixture onto 3 slices of bread, completely covering them, then gently set the remaining slices on top.
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Put a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil and butter. Once foaming, gently put the sandwiches in the pan and fry for 2 minutes, or until the bread turns golden (you may need to fry the sandwiches in batches, depending on how big your pan is). Very carefully flip the sandwich over and cook for 2 minutes more, then transfer to the oven and bake for 6 minutes. Slice off the crusts using a sharp bread knife, then cut the toastie into pieces. Sprinkle with a few more chives, if you like, and serve.

Nutrition

156kcals Calories
6.8g (2.7g saturated) Fat
9.2g Protein
14g (1g sugars) Carbs
0.9g Fibre
0.5g Salt

Quick wins & tips

Mike’s tips Make sure your pan isn’t too hot or you’ll burn the bread. Make sure your oven isn’t too hot or the mousse will expand and lose its shape.

Scale it up: Double the quantities to make more toasties – once cooked, they can be cut into as many pieces as you want. Cut each toastie in half for a decadent sandwich, or into thirds or quarters for a posh snack or party canapé.

Make Ahead

You can prepare the dish to the end of step 2 up to 24 hours ahead.

Cook smarter

Pushing the whizzed scallop and crab through a fine sieve makes all the difference to the final mousse. It removes lumps and means more air can get into the mixture, so the texture is light and fluffy rather than stodgy and dense.