Mud crab with chilli fried breadcrumbs

Name: Mud crab with chilli fried breadcrumbs recipe
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1.2kg live mud crab; 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil; 200g unsalted butter, chopped; 6 garlic cloves, bruised; 4 eschalots, quartered; 1 cup (250ml) white wine; 1 cup (250ml) good-quality fish stock; 2 tbs baby capers, drained; Juice of 1 lemon; 1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve; 1 1/2 tbs unsalted butter; 1/2 cup (35g) day-old sourdough breadcrumbs; 1 tsp chilli flakes

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https://healthimprovements.info/recipes/mud-crab-chilli-fried-breadcrumbs-recipe/agxjgrci

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by Jordan Toft

Feb 02, 2020

"There's something ritualistic about eating crab; you commit yourself to getting every last morsel," says Jordan Toft.

1.2kg live mud crab
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
200g unsalted butter, chopped
6 garlic cloves, bruised
4 eschalots, quartered
1 cup (250ml) white wine
1 cup (250ml) good-quality fish stock
2 tbs baby capers, drained
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve

Chilli fried breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tbs unsalted butter
1/2 cup (35g) day-old sourdough breadcrumbs
1 tsp chilli flakes

Method

1.

Freeze mud crab for 1 hour-1 hour 30 minutes to put it to sleep. Place crab on its back on a chopping board. Working quickly, lift the abdominal flap and insert a knife through the body directly underneath where the tip of the flap was. Then insert knife through the shallow depression at the front of the body, below the mouthparts, at an angle. Remove shell, discard gills and reserve the ‘mustard’ (the yellow substance). Quarter the crab. Using a rolling pin, gently crack claws part-way through.
2.

Meanwhile, for the breadcrumbs, heat a medium frypan over high heat, add the butter and swirl in pan. When butter begins to foam, scatter over the breadcrumbs and chilli flakes. Cook, tossing frequently, for 2-3 minutes until golden and toasted. Season to taste and transfer onto paper towel until ready to serve.
3.

Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Add the oil, butter, garlic, eschalot and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until eschalot has softened. Stir in the reserved ‘mustard’. Add the crab and gently stir to coat in the butter mixture. Add wine and stock and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and cook, shaking pan occasionally, for 12-15 minutes until the crab is just cooked through. Remove lid and stir through the capers, lemon juice and parsley leaves. Season to taste.
4.

Transfer to a large shallow dish and sprinkle generously with extra parsley leaves and chilli fried breadcrumb mixture to serve.