Summer crab and watermelon cake

Crab and watermelon cake. Photograph: Harry Weir
Crab and watermelon cake. Photograph: Harry Weir
Serves: 4
Course: lunch
Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 large seedless watermelon
  • 250g of the best white crab meat possible
  • Juice of half lemon
  • Maldon salt and black pepper
  • 200ml natural yogurt
  • 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • Pinch of piment d’Espelette (optional)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Herbs and flowers (I used dill, chives and edible flowers)

1 With a serrated knife cut an even 3cm-thick disc from the centre of a large watermelon and place it on a platter or a cake stand.

2 Pick through the crab to make sure there is no shell, then spoon it evenly on top of the melon.

3 Squeeze the lemon juice over the crab and season it.

4 Drizzle the yogurt evenly over the top, with a scattering of chilli and a small pinch of piment d’Espelette if you can get your hands on it.

5 Drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil over the top and add the herbs, and some edible flowers if available.

6 Serve chilled and cut at the table for theatre.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford