Crab Cocktail with Sourdough Toasts Recipe

If you want a fancy starter for your next dinner party, but want something a little different to your usual prawn cocktail starter recipe, why not try this delicious crab cocktail with hearty sourdough toasts?

With bacon, avocado and spring onions along with white crab meat, there are plenty of different textures and flavours in this starter option to get your taste buds going.

Crab is generally in season between April to November in the UK, so it’s a great spring, summer and autumn dish to try if you’re entertaining.

This recipe makes enough crab cocktail to serve four people.

HOW TO MAKE CRAB COCKTAIL WITH SOURDOUGH TOASTS

Ingredients

• 4 rashers pancetta or thin-cut smoked bacon
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 200g (7oz) fresh white crabmeat
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and chopped into 1cm (½in) pieces
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2tbsp chopped fresh chives

for the dressing

• 2tbsp mayonnaise
• 1tsp tomato ketchup
• ¼tsp cayenne pepper or a shake of Tabasco sauce
• juice 1 small lemon

Method

1. Heat the grill to high. Place the pancetta or bacon on the rack of a grill pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until very crispy. Set aside on kitchen paper to absorb any fat and cool completely. While you still have the grill on, toast the sourdough slices on both sides until lightly golden.
2. Place the crabmeat in a bowl and mix with the avocado, spring onions, chives and roughly crumbled pancetta or bacon. Spoon into 4 small bowls or glasses set on a serving plate with the toasts.
3. For the dressing, mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup, cayenne or Tabasco and the lemon juice until smooth, and serve spooned over the crab mixture.