Crab Salad with Peas and Coriander

[Recipes Index] [World of Chefs]

For the Salad:

• 1 cup brown and white crab meat
• 5 tbsp raw, shelled peas or frozen peas
• 1/4 of a small cucumber, peeled and finely diced
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 large handfuls of watercress, tough stalks removed

For the Dressing:

• Juice of 2 limes, and the zest of 1
• 2 tbsp light olive oil
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
• a large pinch of sugar
• a medium-sized hot red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
• a small bunch of coriander (chopped leaves should yield 1 tablespoon) 
• the leaves from 5 or 6 bushy sprigs of mint

Preparation:

Boil the peas in salted water till tender, then drain them under running cold water.

To make the dressing, put the zest and juice of the limes in a mixing bowl and add the oil, whisking the two together with a fork. Pour in the soy and the nam pla, scatter over the sugar then add the chopped chilli. Remove the leaves from the coriander and chop them roughly, then add them to the dressing with the chopped mint leaves. Season with a little black pepper and a very little salt.

Add the crab meat, drained peas, cucumber and spring onions to the dressing and toss gently. Divide the watercress between two plates, then pile the dressed crab on top and serve.