Jono & Jules do food & wine

These are unusual little crab cakes with a side dish of sweet, fresh corn purée. It’s corn season at the moment in Ireland so make them while it’s still available.

Crab cakes with corn purée and chilli oil – to serve 4 as a starter (makes 8 little cakes)

• 250g fresh picked white crab meat
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
• 100ml top-quality mayonnaise
• squeeze of lime or lemon juice
• 50g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 150g unsalted butter

For the chilli oil:

• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 80ml extra virgin olive oil

For the corn purée:

• 3 fresh corn cobs
• 120ml water
• 40g unsalted butter
• 2 tsp sugar
• 50ml crème fraîche
• 1tsp Tabasco
• lime wedges (to serve)

Put the crab into a bowl, add the chilli and coriander and mix with a fork. Stir in the mayonnaise. Add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice and season with salt. Make 8 little crab cakes from the mixture and place on a tray. Chill for 30 minutes.

Spread the breadcrumbs evenly on a board and roll the cakes to coat generously. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Make the chilli oil by putting the chopped chilli in a small bowl, add a good pinch of salt and add the olive oil. Stir and leave to infuse.

For the corn purée, cut the kernels from the cobs. Put the kernals into a saucepan, add the water, butter and sugar, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on a gentle heat until the corn is tender, about 20-25 minutes, then drain, but keep the cooking liquor.

Transfer half the corn to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Tip the rest into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pass through a really fine sieve to make sure you have a really smooth purée; it it’s too thick you can add a bit of the reserved cooking liquor to loosen. Stir in the rest of the corn, the crème fraîche, and the Tabasco. Check the seasoning and keep warm.

To cook the crab cakes, heat the butter in a wide non-stick pan over a medium-low heat. When the oil has warmed, gently transfer the crab cakes into the pan and cook for a couple of minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve the crab cakes hot with the corn purée. Serve with the chilli oil and lime wedges.

Wine Suggestion: This is a relatively rich dish so needs to be paired with a wine that has a bit of weight to it. Try and find a Chardonnay that is not too heavy on the oak and from a cooler climate, such as a Pouilly-Fuissé, or one from the Macedon Ranges in Australia.

(Original recipe from Skye Gyngell’s My favourite ingredients, Quadrille Publishing Limited, 2008.)