Crab Feuilleté

Serves 4

I love the nuttiness of the crab, the acidity of the apple and the flakiness of the pastry; it’s a dish calling for a glass of white wine.

230g ready-made puff pastry sheet tsp saffron threads 15g unsalted butter 2 shallots, peeled and sliced 180ml crème fraîche 230g picked crabmeat Salt and ground black pepper

1 granny smith apple 1 tbsp lemon juice Leaves from 1 bunch of tender herbs, such as chervil, basil or parsley

1 tsp nigella seeds

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Roll out the sheet of pastry a little and cut out 4 rounds, 7.5-12.5cm in diameter. Prick all over with a fork and place on the baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between each. Cover with baking parchment and set another baking sheet on top to keep the pastry from puffing up too much.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the second baking sheet and the top sheet of parchment and bake for another 5 minutes, until golden. Set aside on a wire rack to cool.

In a small bowl, dissolve the saffron in 2 tsp hot water. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over a medium heat and cook the shallots for 3 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.

Once slightly cooled, add the crème fraîche, saffron and soaking liquid, and the crabmeat. Season to taste.

Slice the apple very thinly and toss with the lemon juice to keep it from discolouring. Arrange a few slices of apple on top of each round of pastry in the shape of a flower, then spoon over the crab mixture and garnish with the herb leaves. Sprinkle with nigella seeds and serve.