Subway Seafood Sensation

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Two things about this one, and both are usually missed.

It is surimi, not crab. Imitation crab stick — pollock paste, formed and coloured. That is not a criticism, it is the actual ingredient, and using real crab meat gives you something quite different and considerably more expensive.

It has to be shredded along the grain, not chopped. Surimi is manufactured in aligned fibres to imitate crab leg muscle. Pull it apart with your fingers and it comes away in strands that hold dressing in the gaps. Chop it with a knife and you get wet cubes that slide off the bread.

Why shredding changes the whole thing

The strands do two jobs. They give the filling a texture that reads as seafood rather than as paste. And they create surface area and voids for the mayonnaise to sit in, so the mixture holds together as a mass instead of separating into dressing and lumps.

It takes about three minutes by hand for 450 g. A food processor turns it to paste in about four seconds, so do not.

The dressing is deliberately plain

There is a strong temptation to add Old Bay, lemon, dill, hot sauce, celery. Any of those makes a nicer seafood salad and none of them makes this one.

The flavour is mayonnaise, a little celery for crunch, black pepper, and that is close to it. Surimi is mild and slightly sweet, and the point of the dressing is to carry it rather than compete.

What you need

• 450 g imitation crab sticks (surimi)
• 160 ml mayonnaise
• 2 celery sticks, very finely diced
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• a pinch of salt

To serve: 4 sub rolls, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion.

Method

1. 1. Shred the surimi by hand, pulling each stick apart along its length into fine strands. Three minutes of work and the most important step here.
2. 2. Dice the celery as finely as you can. Large pieces dominate; you want crunch without chunks.
3. 3. Fold the mayonnaise, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and salt through the strands.
4. 4. Chill for 30 minutes if you can. The mixture firms up and becomes far easier to get onto a roll neatly.
5. 5. Build the subs with lettuce on the bottom, filling in the middle, and the rest of the salad on top.

Lettuce on the bottom

Same principle as any wet filling: put a leaf barrier between the mayonnaise mixture and the bread. It is the difference between a sandwich that survives being wrapped and one that does not.

The mayonnaise quantity

160 ml to 450 g is enough to bind without the mixture running. Surimi releases a little water as it sits, so a mixture that looks right immediately can be loose an hour later.

If you are making it ahead, hold back a couple of tablespoons and add them just before serving.

Storing

Three days in the fridge in a sealed container. Give it a stir before using — it separates slightly.

Do not freeze. Surimi goes spongy and the mayonnaise splits, and you cannot fix either.