Asparagus & Crab Salad

The perfect starter to a relaxed dinner party

This wonderfully fresh dish is full of light, shellfish flavours and makes the perfect start to a relaxed dinner party

This wonderfully fresh dish is full of light and shellfish flavours.

INGREDIENTS

20 asparagus spears, trimmed
50g rocket
100g white crabmeat

For the dressing

3 tbsp crème fraîche
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
juice ½ lime
brown crabmeat, if you have it
olive oil, for drizzling

Serves: 4 (as a starter)

METHOD

Prep: 20min › Cook: 10min › Ready in: 30min

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the asparagus for 2 mins until just cooked. Drain, tip into iced water to refresh and drain again. Cut each spear on the angle into 2-3 pieces.
For the dressing, mix all the ingredients with brown crabmeat, if you have it. Toss the asparagus through the dressing, then build a nest of asparagus spears on plates.
Place some white crab meat in the centre of each nest, top with a small bundle of rocket and drizzle everything with olive oil before serving.

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Mussels ‘Bulhão Pato’

on a bed of fettuccine and gremolata

'Bulhão Pato' sauce - named after a 19th century Portuguese poet and culinary buff - is a typical Portuguese summer sauce, normally used to cook clams. Its strong coriander flavour marries perfectly with the lemon gremolata.

INGREDIENTS

Serves: 3

METHOD

Prep: 40min › Cook: 35min › Ready in: 1hr 15min

Plunge the mussels in a large saucepan full of salted cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer. Turn the heat off when the mussels start to open up; leave them sitting in the water for 4 minutes.
Reserve 225ml of the cooking liquid, then drain off the rest. Open and clean the mussels. Mix the parsley with the lemon juice and zest, 1 clove of chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Add 1/2 of the oil and thoroughly mix everything again.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan with some salt, the remaining garlic (sliced) and the coriander. Add the mussels, tossing gently to allow the flavours to seep through. Taste for seasoning, adding more coriander if wanted.
Bring a large saucepan of fresh water to the boil, then add the reserved 225ml of mussel cooking liquid and a generous amount of salt. Once at the boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Remove from heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Let it rest for 3 minutes and then drain the water.
Serve the fettuccine on leaves crunchy lettuce, then top with the mussels.