Scrambled eggs with crab

Serves 4

(Jason Lowe)

Now this is something that would be easy to do for a dinner party and is sure to go down well with your guests. I've made it several times with sea urchins, but the dish is equally delicious with crab. If you buy a live crab and cook and prepare it yourself you can enjoy getting another bisque out of it; or you could get your fishmonger to do it for you and ask him to save you the shells to make a stock.

4 small 1cm-thick slices of bread from a bloomer-style loaf
8 medium free-range eggs, beaten
80g butter
60ml double cream
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1tbsp finely chopped chives
The brown and white meat from a 500-600g crab, or about 150g white meat and 8g brown

Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan, add the eggs, season and stir over a low heat, ensuring the eggs don't catch on the bottom of the pan.

Add the cream and a spoonful of the brown crab meat and continue cooking briefly so the eggs are nice and soft.

Remove from the heat and spoon immediately on to warmed serving plates; spoon the rest of the brown crab meat into the centre of the eggs and scatter the white meat and chives all over. Serve with buttered toast.