Spiny crab takes a little time to prepare, but it’s affordable, isn’t at risk of overfishing, and while it may not be lobster, it’s a fantastic alternative for all your crustacean cravings. Here, I’m sharing a rich, flavorful little canapé — fancy enough to impress, casual enough to snack on.

🐻 Nounours’ note: For this recipe, you’ll need small boat-shaped molds — barquettes, as we say in French — a good excuse to visit that friend of yours with all the kitchen gadgets!

Makes 15 bite-sized canapés

For the barquettes:

• 50g Brazil nut meal

• 80g flour

• 70g Breton butter

or any butter, really, it’s just that Breton butter comes salted and with flavors that go well with seafood

• 2 egg whites

For the filling:

• 60g spiny crab meat

• 60g mayonnaise

• 3 sea urchins

Starting with the barquettes

Let’s assume your butter is salted — if not, add a pinch of salt to your mixture.

Combine the flour and Brazil nut meal. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, then gently fold in the dry ingredients. Melt the butter and carefully stir it into the mixture.

Fill your barquette molds and bake for 12 minutes at 170°C (340°F).
Unmold and leave to cool.

For the filling

Scoop out the sea urchin roe  and set them on a paper towel to drain.

Finely flake the spiny crab meat and mix it into the mayonnaise.

Fill each barquette with the crab mixture and top with a sea urchin roe.

drinks…

• Classic: a Muscadet or a chilled Cour-Cheverny — Loire whites , are seafood’s best friends.

• Playful: a Spritz, to stay in that summer seaside ‘apéro’ vibe.

• Disruptive: untested but theoretically functional :  1/3 yuzu juice, 1/3 aquavit, 1/3 orgeat syrup, shaken over ice

• Non-alcoholic: a glass of cold genmaicha (toasted rice green tea).