A Thai dressing of garlic, chilli, lime juice and fish sauce brings this crab salad to life
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
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A simple but full-flavoured dish to wake up the taste buds, with sweet-sharp citrus and a punchy dressing that’s hot, sour, salty and sweet all at the same time.
Grapefruit can also be used in this salad instead of blood oranges.
Hold on to the recipe for the Thai nam jim dressing here – it’s good for spooning over roast or griddled fish as well.
Overview
Prep time
15 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 medium-sized oranges (blood oranges are lovely when they’re in season)
- 125g mixed watercress and lamb’s lettuce
- 30g bunch of coriander, leaves only
- 500g white crabmeat
For the dressing
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 30g bunch of coriander, stems only, chopped
- 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp palm sugar, caster sugar or soft light-brown sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2½ tbsp lime juice
- 2 small shallots, very finely chopped
Method
Step
Prepare the 3 oranges. Cut a slice from the top and the bottom of each fruit. Sit each one on its base and slice off the peel and pith, cutting from top to bottom and following the curve all the way round. Cut the fruit into thin slices, removing any seeds. If you prefer to have segments rather than rounds (it’s more work but it’s better in this dish), slide a knife in between the membrane and flesh of each segment and ease it out.
Step
To make the dressing, put 2 chopped garlic cloves into a mortar with a pinch of sea salt and the chopped stems from a 30g bunch coriander, and pound until you have a rough paste.
Step
Add 1 roughly chopped chilli and pound some more.
Step
Stir in 2 tbsp palm sugar, caster sugar or soft light-brown sugar, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2½ tbsp lime juice and 2 very finely chopped small shallots. Taste for hot/sour/salty/sweet balance (the dressing should be all of those things).
Step
Arrange 125g mixed watercress and lamb’s lettuce and the leaves from a 30g bunch coriander on a platter or four individual plates. Put the orange and 500g white crabmeat on top and spoon over the dressing. Serve immediately.