Cooking crab

By Lee

Ensure your water is well salted (about the saltiness of sea water - around ¼ cup of rock salt per litre) and that it is at a rolling boil before you add the crab. You need to boil a crab for eight minutes per every 500gm it weighs (not the combined total weight if you're cooking more than one). Placing it in iced water afterwards will help prevent spoiling.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rock salt
• 2 lemons, halved
• 2 (350gm each) green crabs
• Spiced salt dipping sauce
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• 1 tbsp fried shallots
• 1/3 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil

Details

Servings 2
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 16mins
Adapted from gourmettraveller.com.au

Preparation

Step 1

01

Place rock salt, lemons and 4 litres of water in a large saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Add crabs and return to the boil. Cook for 6 minutes (adjust cooking time according to weight, as explained above).

02

Place crabs in a bowl of iced water to chill.

03

Remove triangular flap underneath crab and lift top shell away from body – most of the internal organs will come away, too. Discard shell and innards. Break off the eyes and lift out and discard feathery gills (also known as dead man’s fingers). Wipe crab with a damp cloth to clean out remaining innards.

04

For the spiced salt dipping sauce, combine salt, garlic, lemon rind, fried shallots and coriander in a small bowl. Stir in lemon juice and oils and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

05

Using a crab cracker, crack legs and claws, then, using a sharp knife, cut crabs into halves or quarters and serve with spiced salt dipping sauce.

note:
Ensure your water is well salted (about the saltiness of sea water - around ¼ cup of rock salt per litre) and that it is at a rolling boil before you add the crab. You need to boil a crab for eight minutes per every 500gm it weighs (not the combined total weight if you're cooking more than one). Placing it in iced water afterwards will help prevent spoiling.