Name: Basque-style crab
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp butter; 2 medium leeks trimmed, washed and white parts finely chopped; 2 celery sticks finely chopped; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 10 cherry tomatoes halved; 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika; ½ tsp chilli flakes; 1 tbsp chopped tarragon; 100ml vegetable stock; 100ml double cream; 300g white crab meat; 200g brown crab meat; lemon wedges and crostini to serve; 100g panko breadcrumbs; ½ small bunch of flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped; 2 tbsp olive oil

A blue serving plate with crab and bread sticks on the side

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 medium leeks
trimmed, washed and white parts finely chopped
2 celery sticks
finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
10 cherry tomatoes
halved
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp chopped tarragon
100ml vegetable stock
100ml double cream
300g white crab meat
200g brown crab meat
lemon wedges and crostini
to serve

BREADCRUMBS

100g panko breadcrumbs
½ small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

Method

step 1
To make the breadcrumbs, put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until just blended.
step 2
Heat the oil and butter in a pan, add the leeks and celery, and cook for 20-25 mins or until soft. Add the tomato purée and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes, paprika, chilli and tarragon. Cook for couple of minutes to combine the flavours, then add the stock and simmer for 5 mins. Add the cream, season and take off the heat. Add the crab meat to the sauce and mix well, taste and season again if needed.
step 3
Spoon into small clean crab shells or gratin dishes and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Grill until bubbling and golden. Serve with a wedge of lemon and crostini.