Perfect as hors d’oeuvres or even as a snack, these crab canapés with chili-mango chutney are a cinch to prepare. Each of the different elements—chili mango chutney, coconut cream and wakame—can be prepared in advance, making it an easy, flavorful appetizer to assemble on the spot.
Crab, which has a subtle sweetness, possesses fruity aromatic notes that pair well with the sweet-and-sour tropical notes of our chili mango chutney. A thin spread of coconut cream mixed with a touch of mayonnaise makes for a fatty, creamy texture, complementing the chutney’s brighter fruity flavours.
Flash fried rice paper wrappers serve as the base for our crab canapés. Once fried, the rice paper sheets puff up and can be used like thin, crispy wafers upon which to assemble the coconut cream, chili mango chutney and wakame.
“For contrast, we add Japanese wakame as a briney garnish, that shares fresh green, cucumber-like aromas with the cooked crab.”
Crab canapés with chili mango chutney and wakame (serves 8)
Mango chutney
preparation
- 25 g shallots, minced
- 3 g chile pepper, minced
- 8 g granulated sugar
- 20 g Japanese rice wine vinegar
- 150 g mango, diced
- 25 g water
- olive oil
Sauté the shallots and chile peppers in olive oil. Add the sugar and caramelize briefly to avoid burning. Next, add the rice wine vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil.
Next, add the diced mango and water. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce your heat to a gentle simmer, until the mixture takes on a thick syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Coconut cream
preparation
- 150 g coconut cream
- ⅛ tsps cornstarch
- 50 g mayonnaise
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a small saucepan, bring the coconut cream to a boil before thickening it slightly with a bit of cornstarch. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Next, combine 40 grams of the thickened coconut cream with mayonnaise and mix. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Wakame and Puffed Rice Paper sheets
preparation
- 1 sheet Japanese dried wakame (seaweed)
- 2 sheets rice paper squares
- 15–20 g crab meat per canapé
Rehydrate the dried wakame sheet by soaking it in cold water until tender enough to tear into thin serving-sized strips.
Heat oil to 180ºC/356ºF.
Cut the rice paper squares into 8 triangles. Flash fry the rice paper triangles and then transfer to paper towels to cool.
To serve, dress each of the fried rice paper triangles with a dash of the coconut cream, mango chutney, some crab meat and a strip of wakame.
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