Author’s Note:

“As an island with expansive rugged coastlines, Ireland is a source of some of the best seafood in the world, including crab that’s featured in this comforting custard made with Kerrygold Aged Cheddar Cheese, this cheddar is rich and full-bodied with a smooth finish, complementing the crab.”

Check out other Modern Irish recipes from Chef JP McMahon here:

Celeriac & Oyster Mushrooms in Brown Butter Sauce

Mussels in a Smoked Butter Sauce

Heather and Lavender Shortbread

Instructions: 

For the Cheese Custard:

1. Add the cream, milk and Kerrygold Aged Cheddar Cheese to a medium pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil.
2. Remove from the heat.
3. Meanwhile, bring a separate medium pan of water to the boil.
4. Add the egg yolks to a large heatproof bowl and gradually pour the hot cream mixture over the eggs, whisking all the time to avoid scrambling.
5. Place the bowl over the pan of simmering water and cook for about 20 minutes until the custard thickens.
6. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste.

For the Crab:

1. Pick through the crabmeat for shell and season with the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt.
2. Place the crab in the bottom of four bowls and pour the custard over the top.
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours until set.
4. Serve garnished with chopped chives and seaweed powder if you wish.

Recipe Courtesy of Chef JP McMahon | The Irish Cookbook (Phaidon 2020)