INGREDIENTS

■ 12 small crabs, cooked and meat extracted or 240g|8oz of crab meat

■ 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil

■ 180g|6.5oz red onion, finely chopped

■ 180g|6.5oz onion, finely chopped

■ 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder

■ 6 tablespoons of Panko breadcrumbs

■ 4-1/2 tablespoons of hot water

■ 9 green pimento stuffed olives finely chopped

■ white pepper

To cook:

■ cooking oil for deep frying

■ 1/4-1/2 cup|10-20g of Panko breadcrumbs

■ 1 egg beaten

■ sweet chilli sauce to serve (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Shred the extracted crab meat or ready prepared crab meat and set aside in a mixing bowl. If stuffing the shells, scrape them out with a spoon, put in a pan with sufficient water to cover and bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan, rinse and set aside to dry.

2. Finely chop the onion and red onion, or pulse in a blender separately. Finely chop the olives and set aside. Put the 6 tablespoons of breadcrumbs in a bowl and add hot water, mix and leave to soak.

3. Heat 3-4 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and cook the onions over medium heat till softened and shiny, add the turmeric powder mix through the onions and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the crab meat and soaked breadcrumbs, mixing and cooking for a few minutes and then the chopped olives and white pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes more and transfer the crab mixture to a bowl.

4. Fill each crab shell with a heaped spoon of the crab mix, rounding the top - or form 12 mini patties.

5. Lightly beat the egg in a bowl and brush over the crab filling, or patties. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and press in lightly to cover the filling. Refrigerate the crab for 20-30 minutes to firm up.

6. To cook: Heat 5cm|2" of oil in a saucepan to 170˚C|340˚F and deep fry a few at a time for 2-3 minutes until golden.

Transfer to a paper towel or rack to drain for a few mines before serving with a sweet chilli or other sauce.

NUTRITION ESTIMATES

1 serving (of 12): 240calories, 23g fat (2.7g saturated fat), 24mg cholesterol, 168mg sodium, 5.2g carbohydrates (1.3g sugars, 0.8g fibre), protein 3.6g.