These tasty crab cakes are a great way to use up leftover jacket potatoes. Make them without the spinach and egg for a delicious canapé.
Ingredients
- For the crab croquettes
- 2 large baking
potatoes - 110g/4oz fresh white
crabmeat, picked - 1 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf
parsley - 1
lemon, zest only - pinch
cayenne pepper - 50g/2oz
plain flour - 2 free-range
eggs, beaten - 50g/2oz fresh
breadcrumbs vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 2 large baking
- For the poached eggs
- 4 free-range
eggs
- 4 free-range
- For the spinach
- 25g/1oz
butter - 400g/14oz baby leaf
spinach - salt and freshly ground
black pepper - pinch grated
nutmeg
- 25g/1oz
Preparation method
For the crab croquettes, preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
Prick the baking potatoes all over with a fork and bake in the oven for one hour, or until tender and completely cooked through.
Scoop the flesh from the baked potato into a bowl and mash until smooth. Set aside until cool.
When the mashed potato has cooled, stir in the crabmeat, parsley, lemon zest and cayenne pepper until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix again.
Meanwhile, for the spinach, heat the butter in a frying pan over a low to medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the spinach and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until wilted. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir in the nutmeg.
To serve, spoon the wilted spinach into the centre of each of four serving plates. Place 2-3 croquettes on top of each portion, and top with a poached egg.
Top recipe tip
If you don’t have a deep fat fryer, half-fill a deep, heavy-based saucepan with the oil and heat until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Required techniques
James Martin recipes from Saturday Kitchen
30 mins to 1 hour preparation time
1 to 2 hours cooking time
Serves 4
