Crab and avocado salad with Japanese-style dressing

Description

The quantities below provide generous amounts for four people, so this is the sort of starter that you can serve to save you coming up with enormous amounts later on in the evening.

Ingredients

2 tbsp mirin (sweetened rice wine), available from Asian grocers and some supermarkets
½ tsp wasabi paste, available from Asian grocers and some supermarkets
1 tbsp rice vinegar
few drops sesame oil
½ tsp sea salt or ¼ tsp table salt
1 long red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
200g/7¼oz cooked crabmeat
1 tsp lime juice, plus extra for squeezing
150g/5¼oz rocket salad
1 ripe avocado, stone removed
1-2 tsp chopped fresh chives, to serve

Method

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mirin, wasabi, rice vinegar, sesame oil and salt to make a dressing. Transfer about four teaspoons of the dressing to another bowl large enough to fit the salad in later.
2. To the first, more generous amount of dressing, add the finely chopped chilli and then the crabmeat and mix thoroughly using a fork.
3. To the small amount of dressing in the other bowl, add the lime juice and then the salad leaves and stir well to mix, before arranging on four plates.
4. Spoon a quarter of the crab mixture into a ramekin, pressing down to fit it all in, then turn out onto one of the four plates. Repeat with the remaining crabmeat for the other three plates.
5. Using a teaspoon, scoop out curls of avocado and dot around on top of the salad on the plates. Squeeze over a little lime juice.
6. To serve, sprinkle the chopped chives over the four mounds of crab.