Crab and compressed watermelon
- Starter
- Challenging
- 4
- 60 minutes
PT1H
This is complex crab and watermelon recipe from Simon Hulstone is a truly challenging recipe. It requires specialist ingredients, specialist equipment and cooking sous vide. However, if you are prepared to make the effort and have the equipment, you will not be disappointed.
Ingredients
Crab
- 200g of white crab meat
- 50g of mayonnaise
- salt
- pepper
- 10g of chives
Watermelon
Cucumber ketchup
- 2 cucumbers , juiced
- 2g of gellan gum type F
- 1g of gellan LT100
- 1 tbsp of cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
Lovage gel
- 400ml of chicken stock
- 4g of gellan gum type F
- 1g of gellan LT100
- 1 handful of fresh lovage
- 1 drop of green food colouring
To plate
- 1 handful of edible flowers
Equipment
- Piping bag 1-2cm nozzle
- Thermomix TM31
- Stick blender
- Sous vide or water bath
- Electric mixer
- Vacuum bag and machine
Method
1
Infuse the lovage with the stock and simmer over a medium heat. Pass through a sieve and add a touch of green food colouring
- 400ml of chicken stock
- 1 handful of fresh lovage
- 1 drop of green food colouring
2
Place the stock in Thermomix and bring to 100°C, add the gellans at speed 4 and mix at 95°c for a further 2 minutes. Pour onto a flat metal tray to cover a thickness of about 1mm
- 4g of gellan gum type F
- 1g of gellan LT100
3
Leave to cool. Once cool, cut into squares of approximately 10cm
4
For the watermelon, peel and trim the fruit and slice into pieces approximately 1cm thick, choosing the best pip free areas. Cut into rectangles approximately 4 x7cm
5
Put the pieces in a vac pac bag and vacuum. Then release from the bags; this compresses the juices and makes the watermelon transparent but bright red
6
For the crab, use fresh white crab meat. Check for shells and cartilage. Add the mayonnaise to bind, then add the seasoning and chives
- 200g of white crab meat
- salt
- pepper
- 10g of chives
7
For the cucumber ketchup, bring the cucumber juice up to 100°C in the Thermomix. Add the gellans and blend for a further 2 minutes
- 2 cucumbers , juiced
- 2g of gellan gum type F
- 1g of gellan LT100
8
Pour into a deep bowl. As it cools, use a stick blender to break up the setting gel. Continue this until the gel is cold and fluid
9
Add the vinegar and sugar whilst still blending. Pass through a fine sieve; you should have a thick fluid gel. Spoon into a piping bag
- 1 tbsp of cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
10
To serve, place the watermelon on the plate. Fill the lovage gel with the crab mix and roll over, ensuring it is tightly wrapped
11
Place on top of the watermelon, garnish with flowers
12
Pipe dots of cucumber ketchup and serve
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Crab and compressed watermelon
