Crab buns

These crab buns are perfect for a picnic. Make the buns the night before to give the veg time to pickle.

Crab buns

  • Serves icon Serves 4
  • Time icon Hands-on time 25 min, plus at least 4 hours pickling

These crab buns are perfect for a picnic. Make the buns the night before to give the veg time to pickle.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
569kcals
Fat
25.3g (6.8g saturated)
Protein
23.5g
Carbohydrates
61.7g (25.6g sugars)
Fibre
3.8g
Salt
2.5g

Ingredients

For the crab mayonnaise 

  • 1 free-range egg yolk
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 75ml groundnut oil
  • Juice ½ lemon
  • 200g white crabmeat and 100g brown crabmeat (from larger supermarkets or fishmongers or see our how-to video below)

For the pickle

  • 100ml white wine vinegar
  • 75g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 shallot, very thinly sliced
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, cut into long matchsticks
  • 50g radishes, thinly sliced
  • 50g samphire (available from June in supermarkets), washed, any tough bits discarded

To serve

  • 4 large crusty buns
  • Unsalted butter, softened
  • 40g fresh coriander leaves
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Method

  1. For the mayo, whisk the egg yolk, garlic and mustard briefly, then gradually whisk in the oil. Once it’s thick, whisk in the lemon juice, then stir in the crabmeat. Loosen with a little water if you like. Season, cover, and store in the fridge.
  2. For the pickle, whisk the vinegar, sugar and salt to dissolve. Stir in the other ingredients, then leave to pickle for at least 4 hours.
  3. For a picnic, butter 4 crusty rolls and wrap in cling film. Put the crab, pickle and fresh coriander in jars or tubs, then pack in a cool bag.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
569kcals
Fat
25.3g (6.8g saturated)
Protein
23.5g
Carbohydrates
61.7g (25.6g sugars)
Fibre
3.8g
Salt
2.5g

delicious. tips

  1. Please note: contains raw egg

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Reviews

Read what others say...

  1. I love this recipe because samphires remind me of family holidays in Brittany (where I discovered sapphires, pickled, as the French eat them a lot at the time, and fell in love with them even that young). Crab is one of my favourite things ever, again because it reminds me of holidays in Cornwall and lots of happy memories. For me this recipe is a perfect blend of really special ingredients left to shine because not much is done to them, and My! A pic nic too! What a day :) actually, next week we are found a big pic nic out with friends and family – I am going to treat them to those. Can’t wait!

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