Crab and Seafood Pancakes Print E-mail
Written by Claire Hopley, 2005   
Cornish crabs taste deliciously of the sea. Dressed crab is often served with salad for a light meal, and crab is also a favourite on restaurant menus. In this recipe, which is based on one served at the National Trust's Sail Loft restaurant at St Michael's Mount, it is mixed with other seafood to make a delectable pancake filling. Use as much crabmeat as possible with just a little other fish and some prawns to set it off.

For the pancakes

115g (4oz) flour
½ tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
About 350ml (12fl oz) milk
Oil for greasing the frying pan

For the filling

40g (1 ½ oz) butter
1 tbsp flour
300ml (½ pt) milk
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
225g (8oz) crabmeat
100g (3½ oz) white fish such as cod, haddock or hake, cooked
1 tbsp chopped parsley
(4oz) cooked and peeled prawns
6 mushrooms, washed, sliced and lightly cooked in oil or butter
2 tbsp single cream
30g (1 ½ oz) grated Gruyère or Cheddar cheese

To make the pancakes: mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the egg and about one-third of the milk and stir together, incorporating more flour into the wet ingredients as you go. Gradually add more milk until you have a batter as thick as double cream.

Grease a large frying pan with a little oil; place it over a high heat and pour in enough of the batter to cover the base of the pan. Immediately tip the pan to spread the batter. When the sides of the pancake look dry - about 1-2 minutes - ease it from the pan with a spatula, then cook the other side of the pancake for a further minute.

Make six pancakes, reserving them and keeping them warm until you have made the filling.

To make the filling: Melt the butter in a small pan, then take off the heat and stir in the flour to make a paste. Stir in about 3 tbsp milk, then return the pan to a low heat and gradually add the remaining milk, stirring to keep the mixture smooth. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the crabmeat, fish, 1 tbsp parsley, about half the prawns and half the mushrooms. Add 3-4 tbsp of the sauce, and stir gently to make a cohesive mixture. Divide it into 6 portions then spoon each portion in the centre of a pancake and fold up the pancake around it. Place the filled pancakes in the greased baking dish.

Return the remaining sauce to the heat. Stir in the cream and the cheese. Reheat, stirring until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling. Spoon this over the pancakes. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 8-10 minutes or until heated through.

To serve, transfer the pancakes to plates and garnish each one with the remaining prawns and mushroom pieces, and a sprinkling of extra chopped parsley.

Serves 6
 
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