Cambodia & Recipe: The world's best rice with crab

As a tribute to Cambodia, which regularly wins the award for the best rice in the world, we thought it would be a good idea to offer a quick and easy recipe containing this famous rice and another of Cambodia's most popular dishes, crab. The dish below can be eaten on its own, as a starter or as a side dish.

The world's best rice with crab

Ingredients

For the rice :

• 110 g or ½ cup jasmine rice, washed and drained

• 1 tablespoon olive or peanut oil

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• 285 ml or ¼ cup of fish or chicken stock

• Pinch of salt

For the crabmeat :

• 2 tablespoons butter or oil

• 2 shallots, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp chopped spring onions or chives

• 225 g or 1 cup fresh crabmeat (white meat only)

• salt and pepper

Topping :

One cucumber, washed and peeled and cut into thin slices

Preparation:

• Heat the oil over a medium heat, add the drained rice and stir continuously for two minutes.

• Add the turmeric and stir for a further two minutes, giving the rice an even pale yellow colour. Add the stock and salt, stir the rice and bring to the boil.

• Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered with a damp cloth for five minutes.

• Ten minutes before the rice is ready, heat the butter or crabmeat oil in a frying pan and sauté the shallots until soft. Add the crabmeat and onions or chives and stir gently.

• Cook over a medium heat for two minutes. Season and continue cooking for a further minute, turning the mixture gently.

• Butter two large or four small ramekins and line the base with greaseproof paper. Divide the crabmeat between the ramekins and press down with the back of a spoon. Place the rice on top of the crabmeat, pressing it down evenly so that it is flush with the edge.

• To unmould the rice, run a knife around each ramekin and turn it out onto a plate. Press lightly on the bottom of the ramekin and lift it out. Discard the paper. Decorate with slices of cucumber arranged around the moulded rice. Serve warm or cold.