Andrew Pern knows that comforting food need not be heavy

This recipe makes a great starter or brunch snack and has a bit of a ‘nursery’ theme, it is lighter than winter warmers but still reasurringly comforting

Serves 2

  •  Zest half a lime
  • 10g (1⁄2oz) cucumber,
  • finely diced
  • 50g (2oz) white crabmeat
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 slices brown bread
  • Seasoning
  • 5g (1⁄4oz) mace blade, ground
  • 100g (31⁄2oz) unsalted butter
  •  50g (2oz) brown shrimp, peeled
  • 5g (1⁄4oz) dill, chopped
  • 2 duck eggs
  • Sprinkling celery salt
  • Celery leaves to garnish

First make the crab sandwich by adding the lime zest and cucumber to the crabmeat and binding together with the mayonnaise. Toast the bread and cut into rectangular shapes. Season the crab mixture to taste and use as your sandwich filling.

Put the mace blade and butter in a pan and clarify. Add the shrimps at the last minute along with the dill.

Drop the eggs into boiling water and simmer for about eight minutes. Remove from the water and remove the top and shell. Place a little shrimp butter on both the lid and main body of the egg, with the sandwich alongside. Sprinkle with celery salt and pour the remaining shrimp butter over the sandwich. Garnish with celery leaves and serve immediately.