Ingredients

Crab Claws

• 12 fresh or frozen cooked crab claws
• corn flour
• oil for deep frying

Stuffing

• 350g raw prawns, peeled, deviened and roughly chopped
• 250g monkfish fillet or a similar firm fleshed white fish, diced
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander
• 3cm piece of ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp spring onion (white part only), finely chopped
• 1/2 large red chilli, de seeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• generous pinch maldon salt
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp sesame oil

To Serve

• Thai sweet chilli sauce
• or plum sauce

Method

1. Crab Claws: Shell the crab claws carefully, leaving just the single pincer shell on. If your crab claws are attached to some leg meat, put it aside for another dish eg. "Spicy Crab and Papaya Salad". Place the crab claws aside while you prepare the stuffing.
2. Stuffing: Place all the stuffing ingredient except the sesame oil in a food processor and blend to smooth firm puree. Remove the paste from the food processor and place in a bowl, stir the sesame oil in with a wooden spoon until well combined. If you don't have a food processor you will need to chop the prawn and monkfish flesh finely and mix in a bowl with the remaining ingredient omitting the sesame oil, until you have a firm paste, then stir in the sesame oil. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. To Stuff Crab Claws: Oil a large plate with a little oil and have a small bowl of water at hand. Place a generous amount of corn flour on a plate or in a bowl. Coat the crab claws meat in the corn flour. Wet your hands in the water and holding each claw with one hand, coat the claw meat generously with the stuffing, pressing it on firmly up to the pincer shell (make sure you distribute the stuffing evenly so that you have enough for all the claws). Place each stuffed crab claw on the oiled plate as you do them. Cover the crab claws and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
4. To Deep Fry: Heat some oil in a deep-fryer or wok to 180°C ( a cube of bread should rise to the top after a few seconds, crisp and golden, when this temperature is reached). Place a couple of crab claws in the oil at a time, for 3-4 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking, until they have risen to the top and are crisp and golden. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper, place on a tray in a warm oven while you repeat this process with the remaining claws. Serve hot.
5. To Serve: Serve the crab claws with sweet chilli or plum sauce. If you wish you can serve it with my "Spicy Crab and Papaya Salad" for a special starter of light main.