Cantaloupe Melon Soup with Crab

I know I often say a recipe is easy, but please trust me, this one is super easy and super impressive. It is based on a Gordon Ramsey starter that I have simplified a touch and minimised for the canapé version. The orange almost perfumed melon flesh blends perfectly with the mild flavour of the crab salad to make a delicious dish and the fact that it takes just a few minutes to put together makes this one a complete winner.

Ingredients - serves 4 as a starter or fills 10-12 shot glasses for the canapé version

For the melon soup:

1 large ripe Charentais melon

2 tbsp natural yoghurt

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

For the salad:

200g white crab meat (Seafood and eat it pots are easy and convenient to use)

1 small shallot, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 crisp apple, peeled and finely diced

2 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tsp lime juice

Coriander or mint leaves, chopped and some whole for garnish

Salt and pepper

Method

Peel the melon, remove seeds and cut into chunks. Blend with the yoghurt, lime juice and some seasoning until smooth. Chill.

Gently mix the crab meat with the mayonnaise, etc, but add the apple just before serving as it will oxidise and go brown if chopped too early. Chill.

To serve as a canapé: pour some soup into chilled shot glasses. Just before serving add a spoonful of the crab salad and top with a small mint or coriander leaf.

To serve as a starter: If you have small rings, place one in the centre of each wide chilled soup bowl. Fill the ring with the crab salad (alternatively just spoon a small serving of crab in the centre of each bowl). Carefully pour the soup around and scatter a few the herb leaves around.