You can use frozen or canned crabmeat for this starter, but fresh crab has a superior flavour. If you cannot find bantam eggs, use ordinary hen’s eggs.
1 celeriac, about 450g (1lb)
1 quantity Swiss vinaigrette (see page 296)
250g (9oz) fresh white crabmeat
juice of ½ lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 bantam eggs
1 tender lettuce heart, about 8 leaves
½ lemon, cut into 4 wedges
2 tbsp flat parsley leaves
Peel the celeriac with a sharp knife, discarding all the hard bits, and cut into julienne on a mandolin. Toss with 4 tbsp of the Swiss vinaigrette and keep at room temperature.
Check the crabmeat carefully, removing any cartilage and fragments of shell. Mix the crabmeat with the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the mollet eggs (see Boiled eggs), allowing 1½ minutes only for bantam eggs, then peel them.
Divide the celeriac between 4 plates. Pile the crabmeat in a dome in the centre and top with the bantam eggs. Arrange a couple of lettuce leaves, a lemon wedge and some parsley on one side. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the eggs and serve the rest separately. Serve chilled.