Crab Stuffed Courgette Flowers and Jacket Spud

[gazza1960]

A recent stroll around the Allotment looking for ideas to munch on found me stopping and admiring the blossoms on our courgettes,.....me,......well Ill stuff,Batter,or steam anything given half a chance,and seeing these beautiful Golden Yellow Flowers reminded me of something id seen ages ago.

So here goes...........................

INGREDIENTS

1 Large cooked crab=12 oz White and Brown Meat approx
6 cornichons chopped fine
2 tbsps Capers rinsed and chopped fine
1 Shallot Chopped fine
2 tsps Chives chopped
2 tsps Chervil chopped
2 tsps Parsley chopped
a few Basil leaves chopped
2 tsps Dijon Mustard
4 tbsps Mayonnaise
juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
Few drops of Tabasco (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

6 Large Courgette Blossoms (3 each)

Plain flour seasoned
1 large egg beaten
300g Panko Breadcrumbs (Normal white Breadcrumbs are fine but Panko make for a much crispier taste)
Olive Oil

BASIL SAUCE

1 Bunch Basil Leaves
8 tbsps Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Crème Fresh
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
salt & Pepper

1 Jacket Potato

Salad Leaves



Assemble Ingredients

Firstly lets get busy with the crab,its too fiddly an explanation to describe here,but suffice to say it does take a while to pick the shell clean of
all the meat,and don't miss that leg meat as there is always lots of meat....plus you get to suck all those tasty juices out  !!!!!





In a large bowl combine all the Crab Meat,......well nearly all ......as you are bound to have snaffled some along the way....I do.!!!!!
Add the....Cornichons,Capers,Shallots,Chives,Chervil,Parsley,Basil,Mustard,Mayonnaise,Lemon juice and zest,salt and pepper to taste....and the optional
few drops of Tabasco if you like it with a bit of zing  !!!!!

Now combine the mixture with a fork and cover and fridge till needed.



Right,the Basil Sauce is dead easy,just combine the Basil Leaves,mayonnaise,creme fresh,and the Lemon juice in a blender and whizzzzz it up for a 1 minute until you get a nice Green smoooooooth sauce.....season with salt and pepper to taste then fridge till needed.



Ok,now the fun part !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now don't panic but unless your a skilled brain surgeon with the dexterity of a watchmaker the next part may be frought with a few expletives
as yes.....it is fiddly......but believe me....its worth it  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Gently open the Courgette Flower and remove the pistil inside and disgard.



Unfirl the flower leaves and peak inside as there still maybe one or two unwanted visitors....ants etc....shake them out but don't wash the flowers as
the resulting mess isn't worth it.



Each flower is a different size so there is no rule as to how much Crab Meat stuffing youll get in but I just use my fingers and gently stuff
each one.........Oh and yes,you will ruin a few along the way so have spares ready  !!!!!



Now ...pull the flower leaves together gathering up all that juicy crab meat inside.



Dip in seasoned flour........eggwash.......and finaly roll each one in Panko Breadcrumbs.

I have found it best to fridge them for a few hours as the chill seems to make the breadcrumb mixture stick to the flowers better.

Meantime oven cook your Baked Potato............................



Heat some olive oil in a pan and shallow fry each one for about 1 minute till Golden and crisp,keep warm in the oven with your baked spud.




Smear a dollop of the Basil Sauce on your plate with a mixed leaves salad.



""sorry about the crappy picture""......too much Keith Floyd antics with the crisp white wine,,,""HIC""

3 per person with the Jacket spud and topped with more of the crab meat stuffing is delish.

An oddball recipe that gets a big thumbs up as the Crabmeat mixture eaten through the crunchy outer crumb is ""Bluddy Lovely""

and the Crab meat mixture is a definite winner on a lunchtime jacket spud.

""Crab Stuffed Courgette Flowers and Jacket Spud""

Enjoy

Gazza

[gazza1960]

[small]

I do love to see your recipes, though this one isn't for me, don't fancy crab...what puzzles me, though, is how you get anything done in an afternoon if this is the sort of lunch you have! But thank you for brightening my miserable morning...

[gazza1960]

Quite right,I shall go and have a serious word with myself in a darkened room for suggesting you can scoff the whole lot for lunch.....

no ...the jacket spud with crab topping is sufficient ....then I don't now how much mileage I get through around the hospital corridors showing the
public to the wards,but after 5 hours Im ready for my "T"....

Gazza