Festival of family fun

Crab croquettes with sriracha mayo dip

Our homage to a classic seaside sandwich is a real treat for a day out on the beach. Chilling the crab filling is important here, because the mixture needs time to firm up before being shaped. We’ve served our croquettes with a simple sriracha mayo, but you can serve them with whatever your favourite dip is.

MAKES 8 PREP 25 mins plus at least 2 hrs chilling COOK 20 mins MORE EFFORT

50g butter
1 small red onion, finely chopped
40g plain flour
200ml milk
1 lemon, zested small handful of parsley, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced
200g crabmeat (we used half white and half brown crabmeat)
1-2 eggs, beaten
80g panko breadcrumbs vegetable oil, for frying

For the sriracha mayo

1-2 tbsp sriracha
6 tbsp mayonnaise

1 Melt half the butter in a small pan over a medium heat and fry the red onions for 5-8 mins until soft but not golden. Remove to a small bowl, leaving any residual butter in the pan. Set aside. Add the remaining butter to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 min, then gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time. When all the milk has been added and you have a glossy, smooth paste, cook for another 1 min, stirring continuously.

2 Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked red onions, lemon zest, parsley and spring onions. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then stir in the crabmeat and season lightly. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hrs or overnight.

When the crab mixture is cold and has firmed up slightly, tip the beaten egg into a shallow bowl and pour the breadcrumbs onto a plate. Working quickly, shape 2 tbsp of the crab mixture into a small patty (see tip, right). Coat this in the egg, then the breadcrumbs, ensuring the croquette is completely covered. Transfer to a plate or board, then repeat with the rest of the crab mixture, beaten egg and the breadcrumbs