Grilled mud crab, rye bread, creme fraiche, lime
serves
4
Grilled mud crab, rye bread, creme fraiche, lime
Of all the shellfish, crab would probably have to be the sweetest and most satisfying, as it requires greater effort and a certain determination to prise the sweet goodness from its shell. Nowadays we tend to eat too quickly, with more time taken cooking than actually eating. With crab, it’s the opposite, as the speed and simplicity of the cooking enables us to spend more time savouring the experience of eating. With their sweet taste and firm texture, ‘muddies’ make superb eating, and require little more than some great bread, a little creme fraiche and a good bottle of wine. – LH
Ingredients (7)
- 2 x 800g live mud crabs
- 8 slices rye bread
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 200g creme fraiche
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 lime, plus extra wedges to serve
- 1 tbs chopped dill, plus extra to serve
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
CloseMethod
-
1.Freeze crabs for 2 hours to put them to sleep. Place 1 crab at a time on its back on a chopping board. Working quickly, lift abdominal flap and insert a knife through the body, underneath where the tip of the flap was. Insert knife through shallow depression at the front of the body, below mouthparts, at an angle.
-
2.Heat a barbecue to 300°C or heat a chargrill pan to high heat.
-
3.Place crabs, shell-side down, in the centre of the barbecue. Cover and grill for 10 minutes, then turn and grill for a further 5 minutes or until juices start to bubble on the joint between the front claw and the body. Transfer to a tray and stand for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
-
4.Carefully remove the top shell of the crabs over a bowl, making sure to capture all the juices in the bowl. Discard gills. Cut crabs in half, then pick out the meat from the body and claws (crack claws with a rolling pin to open).
-
5.Meanwhile, brush rye with olive oil and grill for 1-2 minutes each side or until grill marks appear.
-
6.Combine creme fraiche, lime zest and juice and dill in a bowl. Season.
-
7.Spread creme fraiche mixture over rye and top with crab meat. Scatter with extra dill and serve with extra lime wedges.
Recipe Notes
Crabs should feel heavy for their size and have legs and claws intact. An A-grade mudcrab will have a notably inflexible shell when squeezed on the underside.
Reviews
Join the conversation
Log in Register