Crab Madame & Crab Monsieur

This is such a fabulous brunch dish; truly decadent; rich, creamy and full of delicious crab meat and yet aside from a few processes it's not hard to create well at home. 

Also it is still very much do-able if you're following Slimming World as I am which is a massive bonus as it feels like such a treat. If you use your Healthy Option A's for the reduced fat Cheddar and milk for the bechamel sauce and Healthy Option B for a slice of wholemeal bread then this will work out at 7 syns per portion. 

Crab Madame & Crab Monsieur

The below serves four. 

Here's how:

For the toasts:

• 5 slices wholemeal sliced bread
• Flora Light

For the bechamel (white) sauce:

• 1 tbsp Flora Light
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 200ml semi skimmed milk
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper
• Nutmeg 
• 2 tbsp double cream

For the crab mixture:

• 400g crab meat (I use a mixture of white and brown crab)
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Handful dill
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Everything else:

• More dill to taste and garnish
• 70-80g reduced fat Cheddar
• 4-5 eggs (I don't eat eggs so mine was a Crab Monsieur)

Firstly you need to get two large pans on the hob on a low heat.

Now take the slices of wholemeal bread, and spread over just a slither of the Flora Light onto each, quite minimal to keep the calories down but enough so when added to one of the pans, it will take on a lightly golden toasted colour. Add each slice to the same pan, in batches of 2-3 and toast on each side then place into a baking tin. 

For the bechamel or white sauce; in the other pan, melt the 1 tbsp Flora Light, and once completely melted add the 1 tbsp plain flour and mix well with a wooden spoon or if it's clumping up you may need to use a whisk. Once combined into a kind of paste, add the milk and stir continuously for a few minutes until a sauce is formed. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper and grate in some nutmeg. Cook this down for five minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken up and become quite glossy. Remove from the heat and stir in the double cream which will add to the glossiness and help to elevate your bechamel to a more luxurious, rich sauce. Set aside off the heat for now. 

For the crab, pour all of the crab meat into a mixing bowl. Stir in the Dijon mustard and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Add the paprika and season. Roughly chop the dill fronds and stir through until combined. Stir in 2 tbsp of the bechamel sauce too. 

Now take the crab mixture and spoon an equal amount onto each slice of wholemeal bread in the baking dish then spread across each until they are covered. Top each one with the remaining bechamel sauce. 

Finally add some of the grated reduced fat Cheddar onto each of the toasts and place into the oven for ten minutes. Set a timer for 7 minutes and then it will be time to fry the eggs for 3 minutes exactly and keep sunny side up (don't fry the yolk!). I fry these in just a couple of sprays of Fry Light. 

Remove the Crab toasts from the oven and place onto a board, or serving dish. Add a few additional dill fronds if you wish,  and a final sprinkling of black pepper and then use an egg slice to place an egg on top of each Crab Madame or keep it plain for a Crab Monsieur. Enjoy!

Crab Monsieur

If you're a fan of brunch-style dishes; here are ten more you may like:

• Shakshuka - Spicy Tomato & Pepper Baked Eggs
• Smoky Sausage & Bean One Pot
• Tomato & Feta Baked Eggs
• Healthy Cheese & Veggie Omelette Muffins
• Smoky Chorizo Beans on Toast
• Best Avocado on Toast
• Berry Yoghurt Pancakes
• Herby Courgette & Feta Fritter Cakes
• Creamy Mushrooms on Toast
• Deep Fried Halloumi with Chunky Guacamole

Chilli Crab Noodles

These Chilli Crab Noodles are utterly delicious, really quick and easy to make and pack a fiery chilli punch.

I have recently started Slimming World, and in case anyone else follows that diet, the entire dish is only 2.5 syns for the sesame oil and Sriracha making it less than 1.5 syns per serving. 

I really like the heat of x2 red chillies, but if heat isn't your thing reduce to one, or take out entirely. I also add fresh coriander which I adore, right at the end, but if you're not keen on the flavour of coriander you could try mint or basil instead.

The below serves two. 

Chilli Crab Noodles

Here's how:

• 200g white crab meat (fresh or tinned is fine)
• 1 garlic clove
• 3cm piece of fresh ginger
• 2 red chillies
• 4 spring onions
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• Tenderstem broccoli 
• Handful coriander
• 90g cooked vermicelli rice noodles

Firstly add the tsp of sesame oil to a wok and pop on a low heat.

Slice the spring onions, red chillies, garlic and ginger and add to the wok to slowly soften and flavour the oil.

Once the base is all cooked down, add the rice noodles, the soy sauce, fish sauce and sriracha and use a spatula or wooden spoon to move it all around and ensure the noodles take on all of that flavour. 

While the noodles are heating through (they just need a minute), roughly chop the coriander leaves and set aside. 

Now add the crab meat to the wok and again, move it all around and mix it into the noodle and vegetable mixture until it's heated through; 1-2 minutes is plenty. 

Remove from the heat, squeeze over the lime juice, which will add a lovely freshness and add most of the coriander and mix again before dividing between two plates. 

Now return the wok to the heat, and add the tenderstem broccoli; this will cook in just a couple of minutes on a high heat. 

Serve with the Chilli Crab Noodles and scatter over any remaining coriander leaves as a garnish.