Name: Crab fritters with cheat's chilli & crab mayonnaise
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: makes about 30 fritters
Ingredients: 150g butter; 225g plain flour sifted; 4 large eggs; 100g gruyère grated; 2 tbsp snipped chives; 200g picked white crabmeat; vegetable oil for frying; sea salt flakes and cayenne pepper, to serve; 200g good-quality mayonnaise; 2 tbsp brown crabmeat; 1 tbsp sriracha or chilli sauce; 1 tbsp lemon juice

Crab fritters with cheat's chilli & crab mayonnaise

150g butter
225g plain flour
sifted
4 large eggs
100g gruyère
grated
2 tbsp snipped chives
200g picked white crabmeat
vegetable oil
for frying
sea salt
flakes and cayenne pepper, to serve

For the mayonnaise

200g good-quality mayonnaise
2 tbsp brown crabmeat
1 tbsp sriracha
or chilli sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

step 1
Put the butter in a large saucepan with 225ml water, heating slowly so that the butter melts but the water doesn’t evaporate. Remove from the heat and quickly add the flour. Mix until fully incorporated and comes away from the pan, then leave to cool to room temperature. Use a wooden spoon to beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth, glossy and the mix drips off the spoon after 3 secs. Beat in the cheese until combined, before folding in the chives, crab and some seasoning.
step 2
Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise ingredients together, season and set aside. Can be made a day ahead.
step 3
Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or large heavy-based saucepan (no more than half full) to 160C or until a piece of bread browns in 40 secs. Using a dessertspoon, scoop spoonfuls of the batter and carefully drop them straight into the hot oil (you will need to cook them in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan). Fry each batch for 3-4 mins until golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper. Season with sea salt flakes and cayenne pepper. Serve hot with the mayonnaise.