‘Nduja Crab Cakes with Roasted Pineapple Salsa
This recipe adds a spicy kick to classic crab cakes by flavouring them with 'nduja. They are paired with a sweet and tangy pineapple salsa as the perfect relish to complete the meal.
Introduction
’Nduja has a special affinity with shellfish, be that prawns, lobster, mussels or crab. There’s something about pairing its spicy meatiness with the sweet salinity of seafood that just works – emitting all the charms of ‘surf and turf’ in a deliciously subtle way. This flavour-packed crab cake recipe celebrates their kinship, with a roasted pineapple salsa as an overstated flourish.
Ingredients
| 500g (14oz) | floury potatoes, peeled and chopped |
| 300g (10½oz) | cooked fresh or canned white crab meat |
| 85g (3oz) | ’nduja (3 heaped tbsp) |
| 2 tsp | fennel seeds, crushed |
| zest and juice of ½ | lemon |
| 2 | spring onions (scallions), very finely chopped |
| 2 tbsp | plain (all-purpose) flour |
| 1 tsp | freshly ground black pepper |
| 2 | eggs |
| 95g (3½oz) | coarse polenta (cornmeal) |
| sunflower oil, for frying | |
| fine sea salt | |
| For the salsa: | |
|---|---|
| 500g (1lb 2oz) | fresh ripe pineapple (peeled and cored weight) |
| vegetable or sunflower oil, for brushing | |
| 2 tbsp | Worcestershire sauce |
| 1 small | white onion |
| 1 | red (bell) pepper, deseeded |
| 2 tbsp | apple cider vinegar |
| 2 tbsp | grated fresh ginger root |
| caster (superfine) sugar (to taste) | |
| small handful of | coriander (cilantro), finely chopped |
| lime wedges, to serve |
Method
For the salsa, preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Chop the pineapple into 2cm (¾in) cubes then spread over a baking sheet. Brush with oil, then roast for 20–22 minutes.
In a blender, whizz together the roasted pineapple, Worcestershire sauce, onion, red pepper, 1½ teaspoons of salt, vinegar, ginger and a good pinch of sugar to a fine paste.
Pour into a saucepan and simmer over a medium heat for 10–12 minutes until it reduces to a thick fruity salsa. Empty into a bowl, set aside to cool completely, then chill.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a separate pan of well-salted water for 16–18 minutes until soft. Drain, letting the steam escape fully, and return the potatoes to the pan. Mash to a fine purée.
Reheat the mash gently for 3–4 minutes, stirring continuously until it is smooth and dry. Stir through the crab meat, ’nduja, fennel seeds, lemon zest and juice, spring onions, flour and a teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. If the mix is very loose, add a touch more flour.
Press a 6cm (2½in) cookie cutter or baking ring into the mix to form small cakes roughly 2.5cm (1in) thick. Place on a baking tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.
Beat the eggs in a bowl and tip the polenta into another. One at a time, dip the chilled crab cakes first into the egg, then into the polenta, coating on all sides. Heat 2cm (¾in) of sunflower oil in a deep frying pan to 170°C/340°F. Fry the crab cakes in batches for 8–10 minutes, until golden brown on the outside and piping hot inside.
Stir the coriander through the salsa, adding salt, vinegar or sugar if needed. Serve the crab cakes warm with the pineapple salsa and lime wedges.
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