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Crab rarebit with pickled spring vegetables

Preparation time
30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Serves 4

By Tom Brown
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the pickled vegetables

  • 50ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar
  • 50ml/2fl oz white wine
  • 30g/1oz caster sugar
  • 2 spring carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 8 radishes, trimmed and quartered
  • 1 banana shallot, peeled and cut into rings

For the crab rarebit

  • 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
  • 50g/1¾oz plain flour
  • 200ml/7fl oz Cornish amber ale, or any good ale
  • 300g/10½oz mature cheddar, grated
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp English mustard
  • 2 tbsp brown crab meat
  • 4 thick slices white bread

To serve

  • 120g/4½oz white crab meat
  • olive oil, for drizzling
  • ½ lemon, juice only
  • small handful fresh flatleaf parsley

Method

  1. To make the pickled vegetables, bring the vinegar, wine and sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the vegetables. Leave to cool and pickle – you can leave these overnight if you want, or eat them as soon as the rarebit is ready.

  2. To make the rarebit, melt the butter in a frying pan, add the flour, stir and cook for a minute to make a roux. Add the ale and gently cook until it reduces to a thick sauce. Stir in the cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and brown crab meat and beat until the cheese is melted.

  3. Preheat the grill to the hottest setting. Toast the bread. Spread the crab rarebit mixture onto the toast and place under the hot grill until caramelised.

  4. To serve, top the rarebit slices with the white crab meat, a good drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with the pickled vegetables and fresh parsley.

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