Salad of crab, raw asparagus and lemon with roast garlic crème fraiche

Name: Salad of crab, raw asparagus and lemon with roast garlic crème fraiche
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4 as an entree
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 medium cloves garlic, skin on; ¼ cup whole almonds, skin on; 240g cooked white crab meat; sea salt and freshly ground white pepper; ½ cup crème fraiche; 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 8 fresh asparagus spears; 1 lemon, cut in half; 1 ½ cups finely shredded cabbage; 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Neil Perry

November 17, 2015

Flavour hit: The creamy sauce packs a garlicky punch.William Meppem

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4 as an entree

'Tis the season for salads to spring into action. Just add a suitable hero ingredient; in this case, crab meat. Cooked king prawns, scallops or pieces of flaked, steamed, white-fleshed fish are also lovely in the salad.

Ingredients

2 medium cloves garlic, skin on
¼ cup whole almonds, skin on
240g cooked white crab meat
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
½ cup crème fraiche
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
8 fresh asparagus spears
1 lemon, cut in half
1 ½ cups finely shredded cabbage
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

PREHEAT OVEN to 180°C.
WRAP THE GARLIC CLOVES (with skin on) in foil and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft and caramelised. Remove and cool.
PLACE ALMONDS on a tray in the oven and roast until golden, about 8-10 minutes. Remove, cool and roughly chop.
PICK THROUGH CRAB MEAT to ensure there are no pieces of shell in the flesh.
SQUEEZE ROASTED GARLIC CLOVES out of their skins and pound with ¼ tsp of salt using a mortar and pestle until smooth. Thoroughly combine with crème fraiche and season to taste.
WHISK TOGETHER extra virgin olive oil and vinegar, season.
CUT THE BOTTOM centimetre off the asparagus spears and slice into long strips using a mandolin or vegetable peeler.
MIX TOGETHER all ingredients except the crème fraiche. Divide between four plates and finish with a small spoonful of roast garlic crème fraiche on top.
TIP
- Shredded zucchini is a good substitute for the asparagus.
Photography William Meppem Styling Hannah Meppem Food preparation Nick Banbury