Spicy potted crab recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Heat the butter in a pan until melted. Turn up the heat a little to separate most of the milk solids (the creamy white looking part) to start clarifying, but be careful it doesn't burn. It is clarified when there are a few nutty brown "bits" at the bottom and the remaining liquid is a clear golden colour. Cool slightly and carefully pour into a jug, leaving the nutty "bits" behind.

Pour the clear butter back into a clean pan and tip in the chilli powder. Heat very gently for 1-2 minutes. (The butter will cloud up again.)

Put the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and season. Carefully fold together with a spatula, trying not to break up the plump flesh. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Loosely spoon the mixture into 20 100ml ramekins or into one larger shallow serving dish. Ensure you leave a nice third of the way down from the tip between your thumb and forefinger, and your other hand at the bottom. Start to bend it gently and it will snap just above the tough bit which you can throw away. Now toss the asparagus in the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Put in a single layer on the pre-heated baking trays and roast for 12-14 minutes, giving them a good shake halfway through. When they are cooked, remove from the baking trays to cool or else they will keep cooking. Keep the oven on.

For the chicken, heat a griddle pan over a high heat till hot. Brush the chicken with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken breasts, 4 at a time in the pan (depending how many will fit) for 2-3 minutes each side - they should be well marked with the griddle level top. Now pour over the chilli clarified butter to give a thin covering. Stir the butter to distribute the spice each time before you pour. If the butter cools too much, microwave it for 30 seconds. Cover the ramekins and put in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight, until the butter is set.

Make the melba toast: lightly toast the bread. Cut off the crusts, then slice the bread through the centre so you have ultra thin slices. Put the toast, cut-side up, under a medium to hot grill to toast until the edges curl. Be careful as it burns easily. Cool, and store in sealed plastic bags.

On the day, one hour ahead: remove the potted crab from the fridge an hour before serving, but keep in a cool place. You want the mixture to be soft enough so that all the delicious buttery flavours blend into the toast. Put each ramekin or a spoonful of spicy crab on to a serving plate with a lemon wedge.

Crisp the melba toast, if necessary, in the oven for 5 minutes. Place a couple of slices on each plate and serve.

Frozen crab You can buy good quality frozen crab - we liked Gourmet snow crab meat in 100g packs from Waitrose. Alternatively use 8 x 170g cans crabmeat (John West is good).