Crab and Potato Tart Recipe
Inspired by a delicious cold crab tart I ate in sunny Malta in 2023, I created this labour of love for Valentines Day 2025. You will see the crab tart in the 'Food Travel Recommendations' page under Malta.
The brief? To incorporate British culture by focusing on 'pie and mash' whilst adding seafood and a hint of spice.
Ingredients:
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165g plain flour
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80g butter
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Water (to bind and mix the pastry)
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1 brown onion (sliced)
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70g feta cheese
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2 potatoes (jacket sized potatoes - 280g-300g)
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1 crab (600g approx. - weight before boiling)
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1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (for frying)
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Crab seasoning: ground white pepper, fish seasoning
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Onion seasoning: curry powder, ground black peppercorn
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Sauce: 150g fresh raspberries, 1 scotch bonnet and lemon juice
Step by step recipe guide:
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Pastry first! Add the plain flour and butter into a mixing bowl and combine well together then add some water gradually to bind it all together. Knead and mix the mix into a soft pastry consistency.
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Put the crab into boiling hot water and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Then use a large sharp knife to break into the crab, crack the shell and remove the crab meat.
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Peel, chop and wash the potatoes and then put them on to boil until soft. Use a fork or a potato masher to make into a mash and then crumble feta cheese and mix together. You will use this later for the pastry case.
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Next, flake the crab meat into small pieces and season with ground white pepper and fish seasoning.
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Use a rolling pin to roll out the pastry on a clean surface then place and shape in a tart baking tin. Then use a knife to cut round the edges of the tin, removing any excess pastry.
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Use greaseproof paper to measure around a spare baking tin and cut round paper shapes and put the paper on top of the pastry. Then, add some ceramic baking beans on top of the paper and baking the pastry for 10 minutes at a medium temperature to cook the base.
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Slice a whole onion and generously season with curry powder then add a sprinkle of ground black peppercorn. Then to a pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and allow to heat up for 3 minutes before adding the onions and sautéing them for 5-7 minutes until soft. Fry at a low heat then set aside.
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Back to the pastry, remove the beans and greaseproof paper and start layering the pastry case. Start with creating a base with the mashed potato and feta cheese mix then add the sautéed onions and finally add the crab meat and put it in the oven for 5 minutes on a low heat.
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To a pan, add lemon juice (up to 2 tablespoons), fresh raspberries and 1 finely chopped scotch bonnet then cook and stir until soft. Once done, use a sieve to drain the sauce to avoid any bits or seeds.
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Remove the pastry tart from the oven, remove it from the metal tart case and then garnish with thyme or other fresh herbs and put the sauce on the side and you're ready to enjoy your dish!
Note: allow at least 1 hour to create this dish.