Spiced Crab Salad

Sybil Kapoor is a cook, food writer and journalist who frequently contributes to the Market Life magazine. This recipe is taken from her book, Citrus and Spice: A Year of Flavour, published by Simon & Schuster

Serves 4

Ingredients

300g white crab meat

2 organic limes

1 small red Thai chili, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 little gem lettuce hearts

1 bunch watercress, trimmed and washed

1 tbsp mint leaves, roughly sliced

1 handful coriander leaves

4 trimmed spring onions, finely sliced

5 inner sticks celery, finely sliced

1 red pepper, quartered, deseeded and finely sliced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Pick through the crab meat and remove any tiny pieces of shell. Gently squeeze out any excess moisture and place the meat in a bowl. Finely grate and juice one lime. Mix the zest and juice into the crab meat. Add the chili and season to taste.

Wash the lettuce leaves and pat dry. Place the smaller leaves in a mixing bowl with the watercress sprigs, mint, coriander, spring onions, celery and red pepper.

When you are ready to serve, toss the watercress salad in 2 tablespoons of lime juice from the second lime and the extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste and divide between four plates. Spoon the crab meat onto the eight remaining larger lettuce leaves and place two on each plate. Serve immediately.

Shopping guide

For fresh white crab meat, head to Shellseekers. The vegetables and herbs can be found at any of the market’s many fruit and veg retailers, including Turnips, Only Organics, Booths and Elsey & Bent. Extra virgin olive oil can be bought from the Fresh Olive Company in the Jubilee Market.