P
Dorsets
L E N T Y
o to Pla
From Pwrt Crab te:
Bro n
Get your hammer and tweezers ready - things could get messy!
B
14
rown crab. It doesn’t have the exotic ring of a Japanese
spider crab or a Chesapeake Bay blue crab, yet
underneath its terracotta shell you’ll find meat that’s as
sweetly scrumptious as any seafood around the world.
Just like lobster (only some would say more tasty),
smashing open the shell and prising out that flaky white
flesh and even more flavoursome brown meat takes some
work. Plus some tweezers and possibly a hammer. It can be
messy, too, especially when slathered with spicy Singapore
chilli sauce.
We’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, you have to
cook your crab, and this cracking crustacean is at its best
when it’s as fresh as possible, meaning that many
fishmongers now sell live crab to customers. To kill the
crab as humanely as possible, you should freeze it for 20
minutes before lifting up the flap underneath the crab and
skewering it. Do the same between the eyes and the crab
will be dead before you boil it for between 10 and 20
minutes, depending on its size. Or, if you’re a bit squeamish,
just buy a prepared one from the fishmonger.
There is so much you can do with crab, but one of the
best ways is to keep it simple – flavour the meat with lemon
juice and cracked black pepper, and spoon back into the
shell for that authentic British seaside treat. Crab meat also
makes for some of the best fishcakes, and it’s also good in
all sorts of soupy stews from chowder to bouillabaisse. Or
try the dish (right) from Mark Machin of Samways fish
merchants.
Lyme Bay Brown Crab with Herby Buckwheat Noodles
“Lyme Bay is famous for its shellfish.” says Mark. “At this time of year we
see an abundance of brown crabs being landed by the West Bay boats.
While a challenge to prepare a whole brown crab, here we use the fresh,
hand-picked crab meat as found in Samways shop in West Bay. The
freshness of this quick and simple recipe is ideal as the sun starts to
come out on a beautiful spring day, with the ginger adding just enough
heat to warm you up.”
“Brown crab is the variety that contains both white and brown meat – don't overlook the
brown meat as this is the most flavoursome part of the crab.” says Mark.
Crabs
This is where you
should perform the
second skewer on
your crab.
You’ll need your
hammer to crack
open the claws.
These can fall off if
you plunge your crab
straight into water.
Put it the freezer first
to make it drowsy.
Seasons change
According to the Marine Conservation Society (mcsuk.
org), brown crab doesn’t come into season until April,
but geographical location and changing seasons can alter
things. Lyme Bay is one of the most studied areas on
the South Coast in terms of monitoring the marine eco
system, so if it shouldn’t be eaten right now we’d tell you!
The best thing to do is to always ask your fishmonger
about seasonality and sustainability.
Ingredients Method
160g mix white and brown Lyme
Bay crabmeat
160g buckwheat noodles
1 small red pepper
2 spring onions
1 clove garlic
1 piece fresh ginger
Large bunch of coriander
Lemon juice
Black pepper and sea salt for
seasoning
Serves two as a main course
www.menu-dorset.co.uk
1. Bring a pan of salted water to
the boil.
2. Blanch the noodles in the water
for 3-4 minutes.
3. Slice the red pepper, garlic,
spring onion and coriander.
4. Soften the garlic and red pepper
in a warm pan for about two
minutes. Add the ginger and cook
for a further 30 seconds.
5. Mix the noodles with the
softened peppers, spring onions
and cashew nuts, coriander and
crab meat.
6. Season to taste with sea salt,
black pepper and a good squeeze
of lemon juice.