The Hidden Hut: Irresistible Recipes from Cornwall’s Best-kept Secret. Simon Stallard

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      WEST BRITON CRAB CLAWS WITH LEMON AND GARLIC BROTH

      A fabulously messy thing to eat, these claws are served on a thick base of newspaper (the West Briton is particularly good!) with a hammer, a shellfish pick, a bucket for the shells and a bowl of lemon water for rinsing your hands.

      Serves 4

      1kg cooked crab claws

      200g butter, softened

      5 garlic cloves, crushed

      a handful of parsley leaves, chopped

      3 tbsp olive oil

      crusty bread, to serve

      newspaper (West Briton ideally!), a hammer, or nut crackers, and shellfish picks or skewers

      FOR THE BROTH

      200g butter

      5 garlic cloves, crushed

      1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

      2 bay leaves

      200ml white wine

      20g tarragon sprigs

      10 black peppercorns

      10 coriander seeds

      2 tbsp sea salt

      First, make the broth. Take a large saucepan that will hold the claws, add the butter and melt it over a medium heat. Add the garlic, lemon and bay leaves, and cook until the garlic just starts to colour. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced by half and there is no smell of alcohol. Add the remaining broth ingredients and 300ml water, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

      Increase the heat to bring the broth to a gentle boil, then add the crab claws and return to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to heat through.

      Transfer the crab claws and broth to a large serving bowl. Put the butter in a separate bowl and add the garlic, parsley and olive oil. Mix together well, then spoon over the hot crab claws and broth to make a buttery sauce.

      Cover your table with sheets of the newspaper of your choice and put the bowl of crab claws and broth in the middle. You will also need a small hammer or nut crackers, a bucket for the shells and a bowl of lemon water for rinsing your hands.

      To eat, scoop the crab claws out of the broth and crack with the hammer using just enough pressure to crack the shell without shattering it into lots of small pieces. Pull out the meat using the hard cartilage in the centre of the claw to help; if you are lucky it will come out in one piece. Alternatively, extract or pick out the meat using a shellfish pick or skewer. Mop up the buttery cooking broth with plenty of crusty bread.

      FRITTO MISTO

      There are no rules as to what you fry when making a fritto misto — it’s about a collection of flavours and textures. I’ve added some seafood here, but you can keep it veggie if you prefer. If you do include seafood in your fritto misto, put some aioli (see here) out on the table too.

      Serves 4

      sunflower oil, for deep-frying

      1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and finely sliced lengthways

      1 fennel bulb, finely sliced lengthways

      1 red onion, finely sliced lengthways

      2 red peppers, deseeded and finely sliced lengthways

      500g squid, cleaned, body sliced into fine rings and tentacles left whole

      1 lemon, finely sliced into rings

      a handful of drained tinned chickpeas, rinsed

      1 chilli, finely chopped

      a handful of mixed soft herbs

      sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

      2 lemons, cut into wedges, to serve

      FOR THE BATTER

      125g cornflour

      125g plain flour

      1 tsp baking powder

      a pinch of sea salt

      juice of 1 lemon

      To make the batter, sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Slowly add 275ml cold water while whisking to form a lump-free batter. Add the lemon juice and whisk once more. Put to one side while you prep your veg.

      Fill a deep-fryer or a heavy-based saucepan one-third full with oil and heat it to 180°C (test by frying a small cube of bread; it should brown in 40 seconds). Dip the squash slices into the batter and then lower each one carefully into the hot oil. Cook for 3 minutes or until they start to caramelise then lift out of the pan using a slotted spoon and drain off the excess oil. Place on a few sheets of kitchen paper and dab dry.

      Batter and cook the remaining vegetables, squid, lemon slices, chickpeas and chilli in the same way, although the softer ingredients will take slightly less time: 1–2 minutes.

      Batter and fry the herbs separately — they will take less than a minute. Season all the battered ingredients with salt and pepper. Serve as a beautiful stack in the centre of the table, with wedges of lemon.

      SCALLOP SALAD WITH HOG’S PUDDING, GINGERED PEAR AND WATERCRESS SALAD

      Here is a classy lunch that is surprisingly simple to achieve. The flavours in this salad are quintessentially Cornish with the salty hog’s pudding and the delicate umami of the local scallops. The sweet and bitter notes of the gingered pear and watercress bring it all together. It is great with a glass of Camel Valley fizz.

      Serves 4

      2 pears, peeled, quartered and cored

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