This time of year has to be one of my favourites for British produce – all the joys of late summer sweetness with early autumn favourites just around the corner. I’m happy to keep the summer party going, though, with tomato salads, crisp sundowners and crab sarnies. Despite never having visited Cornwall as a kid, there isn’t much better than sitting by the beach and devouring a Cornish crab sandwich. This is the slightly elevated version I make once the holidays are over to keep some sunshine in my life.
Epic crab, chilli and lime sandwich
Prep 20 min
Makes 2
150g mixed crab meat, picked through for bits of shell
70g mayonnaise
1 green chilli, pith and seeds removed, flesh finely chopped
Sea salt and white pepper
½ lime
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
¼ cucumber, trimmed
½ little gem, finely shredded
1 tbsp olive oil
40g salted butter, at room temperature
4 slices fresh white or wholemeal bread
Put the crab meat, mayonnaise and chopped chilli in a large bowl and season well with salt and ground white pepper. Finely grate in the lime zest, add half the chopped parsley and mix well.
Halve the cucumber lengthways, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard, then finely slice the flesh into half-moons. Put the cucumber in a second bowl, season and squeeze over the juice from the zested half-lime. Add the shredded little gem, remaining chopped parsley and the olive oil, and stir to combine.
Generously butter one side of each slice of bread, then top two slices with the crab mixture. Top each pile of crab with half the cucumber salad, then lay on a second slice of bread buttered side down. Cut in half and tuck in.
