Chef Tzarina doesn’t typically share her recipes with her audience but made an exception for us. For your first brunch of 2026!
A refined, super-yacht–level take on classic Crab Cake Benedict with elevated ingredients and luxurious flavor.
Ingredients
• 6 baby potatoes
• 500 ml fresh stock (or 1 tsp stock concentrate)
• 3 baby spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp gherkin pickles, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp capers, chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
• A pinch of saffron threads, bloomed in 1 tbsp warm water
• 250 g fresh crab meat
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Pickle juice (to steam potatoes)
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• Neutral oil for shallow frying
• Optional luxury ingredient: 1 tsp yuzu kosho for a bright, umami citrus kick
Method
1 Boil the baby potatoes in the stock for 12–15 minutes until tender.
2 Drain the potatoes in a colander. Pour pickle juice over them to lightly steam and flavour them.
3 Gently crush the potatoes while warm.
4 Finely chop the spring onions, dill, gherkins, capers, tarragon, and mix into the potatoes.
5 Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, saffron water, crab meat, and season with salt and pepper.
6 Shape the mixture into crab cakes using chef rings.
7 Mix flour, smoked paprika, salt, and panko to form a light dusting mix.
8 Brush the outside of each crab cake lightly with the dusting mix.
9 Shallow fry the crab cakes for 2–3 minutes per side until golden.
10 Finish in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes.
How to Poach an Egg
1 Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer—not a boil.
2 Add 1 tbsp vinegar to help the whites set.
3 Crack an egg into a small cup.
4 Create a gentle whirlpool with a spoon and carefully lower the egg into the centre.
5 Poach for 3–4 minutes for a soft yolk.
6 Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Hollandaise Sauce (Blender Method)
Ingredients:
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 100 g melted butter (hot but not bubbling)
• Pinch of cayenne
• Salt to taste
Method:
1 Place egg yolks and lemon juice into a blender.
2 Blend on medium speed for 10–15 seconds.
3 With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the hot melted butter until the sauce thickens.
4 Season with salt and cayenne.
5 Use immediately.