A quick and simple dish that makes good use of the UK's abundance of delicious crab.We have delicious crab in the UK but at the moment we are shipping much of it abroad; it's time we embraced it ourselves. Most supermarkets sell little tubs of pasteurised crab meat that are ideal for using in this dish if you can't face prepping your own.
(serves 2)
300g white crabmeat
75g brown crabmeat
2 spring onions, sliced
½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp chopped chilli
100g flour
2 egg whites, beaten
100g breadcrumbs
50ml vegetable oil
2 ripe avocados
Splash of Tabasco sauce
1 tsp chopped coriander
Mix the white and brown crabmeat with the spring onions, season, then add the ginger and half of the chilli. Shape the mixture into about six moulds and refrigerate for about five minutes.
Meanwhile, divide the flour, egg white and breadcrumbs into three shallow bowls. Dip each cake into the flour, then egg white, and finally, the breadcrumbs.
Heat the oil in a shallow frying pan on medium high, add the crab cakes, turning until golden brown - this should take about four minutes.
Meanwhile, mash the avocado with the coriander, the remaining chilli and a dash of Tabasco. Check the seasoning and then serve the crab cakes with the avocado on the side.
• Angela Hartnett is chef patron at Murano restaurant and consults at the Whitechapel Gallery and Dining Room, London. Twitter.com/angelahartnett
Crab cakes with avocado: use pasteurised crabmeat if you can't face dealing with a fresh crab. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian