So our New year treat lunch this year was this delicious crab tart. Coming from Torquay I love crab though down there it was from Brixham. I think the crabs up here off the Kent coast are just as nice. If you’re not a fan of brown meat this recipe is a really good introduction as it uses both the white and brown meat and distributes it throughout the filling. I left some of the white meat and claws a little chunkier so you get a nice mouthful. The cheese works really well and doesn’t overpower the crab at all. It was delicious and really easy to make.

Ingredients (serves 4 -6)

• 1 pack of shortcrust pastry (or your own)
• 55g butter
• 10g plain flour
• 100ml milk
• 125ml double cream
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 25g parmesan, grated
• 25g cheddar, grated
• 1 whole picked brown crab, white and brown meat plus claws
• juice of a lemon
• sea salt and fresh pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan) and grease a 23cm oven flan dish.
2. Flour a flat surface and roll out the pastry evenly. Roll up the pastry onto your rolling pin and then unroll over the flan dish. Press the pasty with your fingers around the edges so it fits well. Add some greaseproof paper and baking beads and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beads and paper and blind bake for a further 5 minutes uncovered.
3. To make the filling. Tip all of the crabmeat into a bowl, season with salt, pepper and half of the fresh lemon juice. Lightly stir with a fork so the white and brown meat and seasoning combines.
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over  medium heat, add in the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk whilst still whisking and stir until thickened. Lower the heat and add the rest of the ingredients stirring lightly but making sure the cheese melts and all the ingredients combine. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.
5. Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until brown on the top (180 degrees). Remove and trim off excess pastry with a knife (i ate mine). Enjoy