Crab Stick Salad

Both versions are standard and they serve different purposes. With rice the salad becomes a filling dish that holds its shape on a plate, which is why it appears on holiday tables; 150 g of cooked long-grain rice, cooled completely, is the usual amount. Without rice and with extra cucumber it turns light and fresh, closer to a starter than a main. If you add rice, cool it fully first: warm grains melt the mayonnaise and the salad goes runny.

Use chilled or frozen surimi sticks with a high fish content rather than the cheapest sticks, which are mostly starch and fall apart when diced. Thaw them in the fridge, pat dry and cut into 1 cm cubes, not shreds, so they keep their texture in the dressing. On gluten: many surimi products contain wheat starch as a binder even though the packaging looks harmless, so check the label if you need the salad to be gluten-free. Brands vary by country, and the same name can have different recipes.

Replace half the mayonnaise with sour cream or thick Greek yogurt: the dressing stays creamy but gets a fresh tang and about a third fewer calories. Going fully yogurt makes the salad watery by the second hour, because yogurt separates against the cucumber. A tablespoon of mustard or a squeeze of lemon lifts either version. Whatever you use, dress the salad just before serving, not in advance.

Green peas, diced hard cheese, cooked shrimp and a little grated horseradish are the common additions, in that order of popularity. Avocado works but browns within the hour, so add it at the table. Keep the total volume of extras under a quarter of the salad, or the crab sticks stop being the main flavour. Fold cucumber and peas in last and gently, they mash easily and release water.

Prepare the base a day ahead — crab sticks, corn, rice and eggs keep well in a closed container in the fridge. Cucumber and dressing go in no earlier than half an hour before serving: salt and mayonnaise draw water out of the cucumber, and by the next morning the bottom of the bowl is a puddle. If you must dress it early, salt the diced cucumber separately for 10 minutes and squeeze it dry first. Once dressed, the salad is at its best within 12 hours.