Japanese Style Mini Crab Cakes Or Crab Balls Nigella Lawson Food

CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Place the garlic and the spring onions into the bowl of a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Add the crabmeat, wasabi, rice vinegar, tamari or soy sauce and the rice flour to the bowl. Blend the mixture again until it has combined to form a rough paste.
• In a large frying pan, add enough oil to fill the pan to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil until a bread cube sizzles and turns golden-brown when added (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended).
• Roll teaspoonfuls of crab mixture into balls with your hands. Flatten the balls slightly and carefully place them into the hot oil. Fry the crab cakes until they turn golden-brown on both sides and are cooked through (only cook 8 to 10 crab cakes at a time so that they can be turned quickly and the oil temperature doesn't drop too much). Drain the crab cakes on kitchen paper.
• To serve place the crab cakes on a clean plate and place the lime segments around the plate.

MINI CRAB CAKES WITH MUSTARD CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• For the mustard creme fraiche: Mix together the creme fraiche, whole-grain mustard, Dijon and seafood seasoning in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• For the mini crab cakes: Pulse the bread in a food processor to make coarse breadcrumbs; transfer to a large bowl. Add the crab, mayonnaise, lemon zest, Worcestershire, seafood seasoning, cayenne, scallions, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix gently to combine. Add the egg and mix gently but thoroughly. Roll the mixture into about 15 golf ball-sized rounds, then arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet and flatten them slightly. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to set.
• Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the crab cakes, in batches if necessary, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Arrange the crab cakes on a serving platter and serve with the mustard creme fraiche dolloped on top or in a small bowl on the side. Sprinkle with the chives and serve with lemon wedges.

PRETTY LITTLE LAVENDER FAIRY CAKES - CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6 and line a 12-bun tin with paper cases.
• Put all the ingredients for the fairy cakes, except for the milk, into the bowl and mix well with a hand held mixer for about 2-3 minutes.
• Mix once more, adding enough milk to make a batter with a smooth texture.
• Pour the fairy cake batter into the waiting cake cases.
• Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, by which time the sponge should be cooked through and springy to the touch.
• Remove from the oven, leave for 5 minutes or so, then arrange the fairy cakes in their paper cases on a wire rack to cool.
• Whilst they are cooling, make the icing.
• I like this to be pale violet in colour and to run off the cakes slightly - not too thick. So add the water to the icing sugar and gradually add the food colouring until the desired colour has been reached. The icing should be fairly loose, but not too runny.
• Top each fairy cake with the icing - it does NOT matter if it drizzles down the sides of the cake cases!
• Top each fairy cake with a little sprig of lavender before the icing's set dry.

JAPANESE-STYLE CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl combine crabmeat with sweetcorn.
• Saute onion, garlic, fennel, celery and carrot with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• In a mixing bowl, combine sauce ingredients with a whisk.
• Combine sauteed vegetables with crabmeat mixture.
• Add sauce mixture, breadcrumbs and eggs.
• Shape crab cakes into patties.
• Pan fry crab cakes until golden on both sides.

CROQUE MONSIEUR BAKE (NIGELLA LAWSON)

Steps:

• Spread the mustard on the bread slices and make sandwiches with the fine slices of cheese and ham; place each slice of cheese against the mustardy bread, and the ham between them.
• Make the sandwich and cut each one in half, making two triangles.
• Squish the sandwiches into a baking dish, approx 10 ½ inches x 8 ¼ inches and 2 ¼ inches deep.
• Beat the eggs, salt, and milk together; then pour over the sandwiches tightly packed into the dish.
• Cover the dish with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
• In the morning, preheat oven to 400°; take the dish out of the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap.
• Sprinkle over the grated cheese and Worcestershire sauce; bake for 25 minutes.