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Crab crumpet rarebit with pickled walnut ketchup

Name: Crab crumpet rarebit with pickled walnut ketchup
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: For the pickled walnut ketchup; 50g caster sugar; 3 large pickled walnuts, plus 2 tbsp of their pickling liquid; 30g sultanas; 50g apple, peeled, cored and sliced; For the crab crumpet rarebit; 20g unsalted butter; 20g plain flour; 100ml brown ale; 100g crabmeat – 50/50 brown and white; 1 tsp dijon mustard; ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce; 70g mature cheddar, coarsely grated; Finely grated zest and juice; ½ lemon; 1 tbsp chopped dill, plus; 4 sprigs to garnish; 2 dashes Tabasco; 4 crumpets; 8 samphire sprigs, broken into small pieces, to serve; Specialist kit; Piping bag or squeezy bottle

By: Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.

Published: 21 Oct 24
Updated: 15 Nov 24

Crab crumpet rarebit with pickled walnut ketchup

Here, crab raises workaday welsh rarebit to the height of luxury. With the rich brown meat folded into the ale-spiked cheesy sauce and the delicately sweet white crab on top, this is a real treat to impress your guests.

Browse more make-ahead Christmas starters.

Easy
November 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 40 min

Browse more make-ahead Christmas starters.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 420kcals
Fat: 12g (6.7g saturated)
Protein: 15g
Carbohydrates: 59g (27g sugars)
Fibre: 3.4g
Salt: 2.2g

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Before you start

The ketchup will keep chilled for 2 weeks – it’s great for a cheeseboard. The rarebit mix and white crab mix can both be prepared a day ahead, then plated up when you’re ready to serve.

Before you start

The ketchup will keep chilled for 2 weeks – it’s great for a cheeseboard. The rarebit mix and white crab mix can both be prepared a day ahead, then plated up when you’re ready to serve.

Ingredients

For the pickled walnut ketchup

50g caster sugar
3 large pickled walnuts, plus 2 tbsp of their pickling liquid
30g sultanas
50g apple, peeled, cored and sliced

For the crab crumpet rarebit

20g unsalted butter
20g plain flour
100ml brown ale
100g crabmeat – 50/50 brown and white
1 tsp dijon mustard
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
70g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
Finely grated zest and juice
½ lemon
1 tbsp chopped dill, plus
4 sprigs to garnish
2 dashes Tabasco
4 crumpets
8 samphire sprigs, broken into small pieces, to serve

Specialist kit

Piping bag or squeezy bottle

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Method

To make the ketchup, simmer all the ingredients in a pan for 15 minutes, then whizz in a blender until smooth. If you want it extra smooth, pass it through a sieve. Once cool, transfer to a piping bag or squeezy bottle.
Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the flour to create a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then slowly whisk in the ale to create a smooth sauce. Stir in the brown crabmeat (reserving the white meat), mustard and Worcestershire sauce, then beat in the grated cheese until melted. Leave to cool, then mix the white crabmeat with a little lemon zest, plus the juice, chopped dill, Tabasco and a little salt and pepper.
To serve, heat the grill to high. Toast the crumpets, then spread with the rarebit mixture and put under the grill until bubbling and golden. Decorate the plates with pearls of pickled walnut ketchup, then top with the crumpets. Top each crumpet with a quenelle (an oval shaped by 2 teaspoons) of the white crab mix, then garnish with samphire, dill sprigs and the remaining lemon zest.