Kamchatka crab meat, CHATKA

Kamchatka crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus), also called king crab, is one of the largest edible crabs; it is caught in the cold waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea and the Barents Sea. The meat is white with a scarlet edge, the fibre long and firm, the taste slightly sweet.

The Chatka brand has existed since 1930. The can holds only crab meat in brine, already cooked — it needs no further preparation.

Crab is best served cold, straight from the can: with lemon and mayonnaise or aioli, in a salad, on toast with avocado, in tartlets. In hot dishes — pasta, risotto, soup — it only needs warming through: add it at the very end, or the already cooked meat turns tough.