SPICED CRAB ARANCINI

BY CHEF ALAN BIRD

SERVES: 8 PREPARATION: 20mins COOKING: 30mins

Chef Alan Bird has picked up a thing or two from his years working alongside some top Italian chefs and he knows how to make a mean arancini. He just asks for forgiveness when it comes to the secret ingredient in his breadcrumb mix.

Named after the little oranges they’re thought to resemble, arrancini are stuffed balls of rice that are coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried for a satisfying crunch. Traditionally filled with a meat ragu and mozzarella, Alan’s Cornish-inspired version calls for crab meat spiced with ginger, chilli and fresh coriander.

In a move that may leave traditionalists tutting, he adds a good serving of parmesan to the breadcrumb mix. But trust him on this one - it works beautifully.

Lured to Cornwall by childhood memories of Cornish pasties, saffron buns, crab sandwiches and Cornish ice cream, Alan Bird is a huge ambassador of the county’s wealth of wonderful ingredients. Having worked at The Ivy restaurant and been personal chef to Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, it’s only natural that he ended up running his own business catering for VIP clients (Alan Bird Food Etc Ltd). Long-time friends with The Seafood Restaurant’s Stephane Delourme, Alan also worked on the opening of Trevisker’s Kitchen with Henk De Villiers Ferreira. Having created dishes for Sharp’s Secret Bar pop-up, Alan believes that good beer can challenge the best of wines.

ingredients
method
beer pairing
  • 100g carnaroli risotto rice
  • 1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 30g root ginger, scraped and crushed
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
  • 20g coriander leaves, chopped
  • 50g olive oil
  • 30g tomato puree
  • 60ml white wine
  • 200ml fish stock
  • 200g brown crab meat
  • 300g white crab meat
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 litre vegetable oil for frying

For the crumbing

  • 100g panko breadcrumbs
  • 100g plain flour
  • 50g grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 60ml milk
  • 500ml vegetable oil

For the gremolata crème fraîche

  • 1 lemon, zest
  • 50g flat leaf parsley, picked and chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed into a paste
  • 100g crème fraîche
  • Seasoning
  1. Gently cook the shallot, ginger, garlic and chilli in the olive oil until soft.
  2. Add the rice and cook gently, then gradually add the tomato purée, sherry and fish stock and simmer until completely absorbed and the rice is just cooked. Add the crab meat and cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes.
  3. Season to taste and then leave to cool.
  4. Refrigerate once cooled and leave to set.
  5. Mould the chilled risotto into even bite - size balls, approx. 30g each in weight.
  6. Meanwhile, set up 3 separate shallow trays for the crumbing: one for the flour, one for the crumbs and parmesan, and one for the egg and milk mix.
  7. Add the balls to the flour, ensuring that they are fully coated. Shake off the excess flour, then place into the egg mix – again, ensuring that this coats the outside of the balls without any gaps. Then carefully place into the breadcrumbs and coat evenly.
  8. Leave in the fridge to set.
  9. To make the gremolata crème fraîche, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season.
  10. Heat the vegetable oil to 190C in a deep fat fryer or a pan twice the size of the volume of oil. Check the temperature of the oil with a temperature probe.
  11. Carefully place the crumbed balls into the hot oil and fry until crispy golden brown, then drain carefully on kitchen paper.
  12. Serve with the crème fraîche. Take care as they will be hot inside.

Serve with a simple but flavourful gremolata crème fraiche and pair with a Sharp’s Offshore Pilsner. The crisp herbal lemon aroma leaves a refreshing citrus finish that’s perfect with the spiced crab meat. A chilled larger or golden ale also works well. 

ingredients
  • 100g carnaroli risotto rice
  • 1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 30g root ginger, scraped and crushed
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
  • 20g coriander leaves, chopped
  • 50g olive oil
  • 30g tomato puree
  • 60ml white wine
  • 200ml fish stock
  • 200g brown crab meat
  • 300g white crab meat
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 litre vegetable oil for frying

For the crumbing

  • 100g panko breadcrumbs
  • 100g plain flour
  • 50g grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 60ml milk
  • 500ml vegetable oil

For the gremolata crème fraîche

  • 1 lemon, zest
  • 50g flat leaf parsley, picked and chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed into a paste
  • 100g crème fraîche
  • Seasoning
method
  1. Gently cook the shallot, ginger, garlic and chilli in the olive oil until soft.
  2. Add the rice and cook gently, then gradually add the tomato purée, sherry and fish stock and simmer until completely absorbed and the rice is just cooked. Add the crab meat and cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes.
  3. Season to taste and then leave to cool.
  4. Refrigerate once cooled and leave to set.
  5. Mould the chilled risotto into even bite - size balls, approx. 30g each in weight.
  6. Meanwhile, set up 3 separate shallow trays for the crumbing: one for the flour, one for the crumbs and parmesan, and one for the egg and milk mix.
  7. Add the balls to the flour, ensuring that they are fully coated. Shake off the excess flour, then place into the egg mix – again, ensuring that this coats the outside of the balls without any gaps. Then carefully place into the breadcrumbs and coat evenly.
  8. Leave in the fridge to set.
  9. To make the gremolata crème fraîche, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season.
  10. Heat the vegetable oil to 190C in a deep fat fryer or a pan twice the size of the volume of oil. Check the temperature of the oil with a temperature probe.
  11. Carefully place the crumbed balls into the hot oil and fry until crispy golden brown, then drain carefully on kitchen paper.
  12. Serve with the crème fraîche. Take care as they will be hot inside.
beer pairing

Serve with a simple but flavourful gremolata crème fraiche and pair with a Sharp’s Offshore Pilsner. The crisp herbal lemon aroma leaves a refreshing citrus finish that’s perfect with the spiced crab meat. A chilled larger or golden ale also works well.