It’s hard not to be excited by the arrival of spring and all the produce that will soon be gracing our kitchens,Asparagus, spinach and new potatoes can’t come soon enough, but it’s not just fruit and vegetables that I count down the days for – there’s plenty of seafood to celebrate too, and in particular crab,Sweet and delicate, its freshness mirrors the arrival of brighter, sunnier days,If you’re lucky enough to pick through a fresh crab, then it needs very little in way of adornment – a squeeze of lemon perhaps, and warm bread and salty butter,Thankfully for the time-poor among us, you can also buy pots of it pre-cooked and picked, which is glorious lightly spiced in a dip or for folding through pasta.

However you decide to enjoy crab, though, make sure it is allowed to sing.Prep 15 min Cook 45 min Serves 450g caster sugar Sea salt and white pepper90ml rice-wine vinegar 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks½ cucumber, trimmed20g fresh coriander½ bunch of spring onions, trimmed1 garlic clove, peeled2 green chillies, very finely sliced1 tbsp fish sauce 1 lime200g firm white fish, roughly chopped200g picked mixed crab meat1 large egg50g cornflour4 mini baguettes, or crusty long bread rolls4 tbsp mayonnaiseVegetable oil Sriracha, to serveIn a mixing bowl, dissolve the caster sugar in 150ml just-boiled water with two teaspoons of sea salt.Stir in the rice-wine vinegar and carrot matchsticks and set aside while you crack on with the rest.Peel the cucumber into ribbons using a vegetable peeler, and pick half the coriander into small sprigs.Halve the spring onions into green and white lengths, then shred the whites into thin matchsticks.

Toss the cucumber ribbons, picked coriander sprigs and spring onion whites together and leave to one side.Roughly chop the remaining coriander, the green parts of the spring onion and garlic clove, and put in a food processor with a third of the sliced green chilli.Blitz until finely chopped, then add the fish sauce, squeeze in the juice of half the lime, and the chopped firm fish.Season with salt and white pepper and blitz for a minute until smooth.Add the crab meat, egg and cornflour and pulse until it all comes together.

Halve the baguettes lengthways, and lay out on a chopping board.Scoop out a little of the bready centre and save for another use, then spread the inside of each baguette with a tablespoon of mayonnaise.Squeeze the remaining lime half over the cucumber mixture and season.Drain the carrots.Put a large frying pan on a medium heat and drizzle in enough vegetable oil to just cover the base.

Shape the crab mixture into small cakes – you are looking for three to four per baguette.Fry half the crab cakes for three to four minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through.As soon as they’re ready, distribute them between two of the baguettes, top each one with a quarter of the herby cucumber mixture and a quarter of the pickled carrots and drizzle with sriracha.Close the baguette and serve.Repeat this process with the remaining crab cakes and accompaniments, and tuck in.

Prep 10 min Cook 20 min Serves 2Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs 45g parmesan, finely grated½ lemon ⅛ tsp sweet smoked paprika100g mixed crab meat180g linguine or spaghetti25g unsalted butter2 tbsp olive oil1 garlic clove, crushed in its skinA few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and very finely choppedPut a large pan of salted water on to boil,Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and most of the parmesan in a large mixing bowl with an eighth of a teaspoon of ground black pepper and a quarter teaspoon of salt, until smooth,Finely grate in the lemon zest, add the paprika and crab meat, and whisk again; set aside,Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta for nine to 10 minutes, or until al dente,Meanwhile, put a large frying pan on a medium-low heat and add the butter, olive oil and crushed garlic.

Fry slowly for six to eight minutes until golden, then remove the garlic from the pan,Reduce the heat to low,When the pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer it to the frying pan, allowing some of the pasta cooking water to slosh in, too,Toss in the garlicky butter then turn off the heat,Working quickly, stir the egg and crab mix into the hot linguine, tossing constantly so it becomes creamy, adding a ladle of the pasta water as you go.

Keep stirring until you have a creamy sauce.Finish with a squeeze of lemon, scatter over the parsley and the remaining grated parmesan.Prep 5 minSoak 20 min Cook 30 min Serves 2175g Japanese short-grain rice 275ml seafood stock 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp caster sugar 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1½ tsp cornflour 2 large eggs 100g white crab meat 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced, then greens and white parts separated Sea salt and white pepper 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp furikakeWash the rice in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear, then soak in cold water for 20 minutes.Drain the rice, transfer to a small saucepan with 240ml fresh cold water, then bring to a boil and cover.Reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, then leave to sit for 10 minutes with the lid on.

Meanwhile, make the broth.Pour the stock into a small saucepan and whisk in the soy sauce, caster sugar, rice vinegar and cornflour, until smooth.Keep warm on a low heat; you should have a glossy, slightly thickened sauce.Taste and adjust to your liking, adding extra soy or sugar if you like.In a small mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, crab, sliced spring onion whites (reserve the greens to garnish) and a pinch of salt and white pepper.

Everything will come together quickly once the omelettes are cooked, so when the rice is ready, divide it between two pasta bowls or deep plates, using an upturned bowl to mould it into a dome,Put a wok or small frying pan on a high heat and add one and a half tablespoons of the oil,Once very hot, pour in half the crab and egg mixture and cook quickly, and, using chopsticks or the tip of a knife, gently move the set egg around the pan so it cooks evenly,When it’s ready, drape the omelette over one of the rice mounds, then repeat with the remaining oil and egg mixture,When both omelettes are ready, ladle over the hot stock, garnish with the sliced green spring onions and furikake, and serve.

Prep 10 min Cook 40 min Serves 6-8250g cream cheese 100g mayonnaise 100g sour cream Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika A few dashes of Tabasco ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce ½ lemon, zest finely grated 175g mature cheddar, grated200g mixed crab meat10g chives, finely chopped40g panko or breadcrumbs Olive oil Tortilla chips or salted crisps, to serveHeat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6,In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream until smooth,Season well, then add the paprika, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, then squeeze in the lemon juice,Add 150g of the grated cheddar, the crab meat and most of the chopped chives, and mix everything together,Spoon into a baking dish.

Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining grated cheddar, lemon zest and remaining chives,Season well and scatter over the dip,Drizzle with olive oil, then transfer to the oven for 20-30 minutes, until everything is golden and bubbling (the time will depend on how wide/deep your dish is),When the dip is ready, leave to stand for five minutes before serving with a pile of tortilla chips or crisps,Prep 15 min Cook 30 min Serves 2150g glass noodles, such as sweet potato, mung bean or vermicelli 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tsp caster sugar 2 tsp gochujang paste 1 tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced150g fine asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3cm lengths2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated3cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely gratedA large handful of beansprouts, washed150g white crab meatCook the noodles according to packet instructions – some will just need soaking, others will need parboiling.

I like sweet potato noodles, and for those, put them in a large mixing bowl and cover with warm water to soften for 10 minutes.Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to a boil.Cut the noodles in half with scissors, then boil for six minutes.Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to stop them overcooking, then set aside.In a small jug or mug, whisk the soy sauce, oyster sauce, caster sugar, gochujang, sesame oil and two tablespoons of water.

Put a large frying pan or wok over a high heat and add the vegetable oil.Fry the shallots for two minutes, then add the asparagus and fry for three minutes more, until slightly charred and starting to soften.Stir in the garlic, ginger and the beansprouts, and fry for another couple of minutes.Using tongs, transfer the noodles to the pan (don’t worry if they are still a little wet), pour in the sauce, then add the crab meat and toss everything together.Keep frying over a high heat for a couple of minutes, until everything is glossy and hot.

Plate up immediately.