Crab Mousse Recipe

Crab meat is one of the tastiest seafoods you can buy. It is jam-packed with vitamins and minerals but, unfortunately it also contains a lot of cholesterol. Oh, but then this recipe is loaded with cholesterol in the mayonnaise and the cream too. Accept it, some foods that taste irresistible may not always be good for you. But, then again, what is bad for the body might just be good for the soul; and that's my mousse excuse. Here is how I made it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flaked crabmeat (mine came out of 2 tins)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 grated onion
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 sachet gelatin

Preparation

• Soak a sachet of gelatin in cold water until soft, then make up to 2 cups with boiling water (or follow the directions on your gelatin package to make 2 cups)
• Stir in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, herbs and spices
• Gently cook the chopped onion in a little butter until soft and stir into the mix
• Fold the crab meat into the mix and stir gently until evenly distributed
• Whip the cream until quite stiff and fold into the mix with a whisk
• Transfer to a glass mould and refrigerate overnight

John's Notes

Beware, this is a rich, opulent, filling, diet-buster of a recipe; you have been warned. Now that we have the sensible eating advisory out of the way, let me also tell you that it tastes oh-so-good. You will want a second helping and then you will hate yourself in the morning, but do it anyway - I did and, yes, I did hate myself in the morning.

10 Minute Chicken Liver Pate

This week's recipe is very easy to make indeed. The total preparation time is only about ten minutes. Chicken liver pate may not be the healthiest food you can eat as it is high in fat, but if eaten in small quantities it makes an excellent starter dish or light snack.

Ingredients

• 300-400g chicken liver
• 200g butter
• Dried mint leaves
• Black pepper, salt, garlic
• Scotch whisky

Preparation

• Dice and lightly fry the chicken livers in half the butter
• Place in a food processor or blender with the remainder of the butter and blend until a smooth paste
• Add a generous amount of ground black pepper, some salt, garlic, the dried mint and a shot of Scotch
• Stir well, transfer to a glass or porcelain dish and refrigerate until firmly set

John's Notes
The wonderful thing about pate is that you can make an endless variety of different flavours. I flavoured mine with mint because it is one of my favourite herbs; you could use your own favourite herbs or spices. The Scotch whisky is optional but it serves two purposes. First, it richens the flavour and second, it acts as a mild preservative. This recipe makes rather a lot of pate so unless you are making it for a party you might end up with it in your fridge for several days.

You can serve pate on lightly toasted soldiers (narrow strips of sliced bread) or with your favourite crackers. I served mine on McVities Butter Puffs. To make a party platter, finely dice some red and green bell peppers, celery, English cucumber and cherry tomatoes, then place a teaspoonful of veggie mixture on top of the pate on crackers. Line the platter with large lettuce leaves for a nice presentation.