Fish
Cornish recipe
2 large prepared crabs ( preferably freshly caught)
¼ tsp / 2g nutmeg
2 or 3 artichoke hearts (use tinned if necessary)
½ tsp / 3g cinnamon
2 tbs / 30ml claret
¼ tsp / 2g ground ginger
3 hard boiled eggs chopped
2 oz / 60g butter
24 white seedless grapes cut in half
juice of 1 orange
½ lb / 230g asparagus boiled until tender (or use tinned asparagus
tips)
3/4 lb / 345g puff pastry
¼ lb / 115g Cornish clotted cream
1 egg yolk beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 450F / 230C / Gas Mark 8
Dress the crabs (or get your fishmonger to do it) keeping the brown meat
and claw meat separate. Mix the brown meat with the nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger
and claret and set aside. Butter a pie dish and put in the artichoke bottoms.
On the artichoke bottoms put the chopped eggs then the spiced brown crab
meat. On top of this put the grapes and asparagus tips. Add salt and pepper
and the orange juice. Now spread the Cornish cream on and into this press
all the crab claw meat. Roll out the pastry and cover the pie dish with it
pressing the edges down to seal ( the pie dish must be of a size which is
just filled to the top with the ingredients). Brush the pastry with the egg
yolk and bake at 450F / 230C / Gas Mark 8 for 25 minutes
and serve immediately with a cold crisp white wine, preferably from a Cornish
vineyard.