Horchata With Crab

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the horchata:
• 2 cups tiger nuts
• 2 cups water
• For the crab:
• 1 1.3-lb crab
• salt
• water
• For the crab coral:
• 1 cooked crab (see previous step)
• For the crab meat:
• The legs and body of the crab
• For the pan-fried cep:
• 1 2-oz cep top
• 1 tsparlic clove
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cup 0.4º olive oil
• salt
• For the ice plant leaf and cep salad:
• 1 pan-fried cep top (see previous instruction)
• 3 oz ice plant leaves
• For the vanilla oil:
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil
• To finish:
• Maldon salt

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the horchata:
1. Clean the tiger nuts.
2. Re-hydrate the tiger nuts by covering them with a generous amount of water, at least 2" over the level of the nuts. Leave to soak for 24 hours.
3. Drain the tiger nuts and grind them in the food processor until you get a fine powder.
4. Cover the ground nuts with 2 cups of water and leave to soak for 12 h.
5. Liquefy the purée and repeat with the surplus pulp. Strain the liquid and keep in the fridge.

For the crab:
1. Measure the amount of water needed to cover the crab and add 1 ¾ oz of salt per liter. Bring to the boil.
2. Put the crab in the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the crab from the water and leave to cool.

For the crab coral:
1. Separate the head from the legs of the crab.
2. Use a spoon to remove the coral from the head.
3. Grind the coral in a food processor and strain.
4. Keep the crab's legs and body on one side.

For the crab meat:
1. Use a skewer to remove the meat from the legs and body of the crab and keep it.

For the pan-fried cep:
1. Slice the base off the stalk of the cep.
2. Peel the stalk and remove any surplus moss from under the top of the mushroom.
3. Wipe the top with a damp cloth.
4. Blanch the mushroom for approx. 15 sec, drain and season with salt.
5. Flavor the 0.4º olive oil with the bay leaf and garlic clove.
6. Heat the oil to 160ºF.
7. Put the cep in the oil and cook at 160ºF for approx. 15 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat and marinade for at least 24 hours.
9. Drain, wrap in clingfilm and freeze.

For the ice plant leaf and cep salad:
1. Use the meat slicer to cut the cep in strips (approx. 1/20"). Place between wax paper.
2. Shred the ice plant leaves into small shoots.

For the vanilla oil:
1. Open the vanilla pod lengthwise.
2. Scrape out the seeds and mix with the oil.
3. Press through a fine sieve.
4. Leave to marinade for 6 hours.

Finishing Touches & Presentation:
1. Emulsify the horchata in a food processor. Keep on one side in a pitcher.
2. Prepare the salad sprigs by intertwining the shoots of ice plant leaves and the pan-fried ceps and then arrange three of them around the perimeter of the dish at equidistant intervals. Season with Maldon salt.
3. Place a small 1 ½ oz pile of crab meat in the center of the plate.
4. Put the coral in a sauce baster and drizzle it along the gaps between the salad shoots.
5. Drizzle the vanilla oil over the salad and the coral.
6. Serve the cold horchata in a jug.