Kokt Krabbe
Whole boiled coastal crab, dressed simply and served with mayonnaise, lemon and crusty bread.
Cultural Context & History
As the water cools in early autumn, the crab pots come up heavy along the skerries. Boiled in seawater and cracked at a garden table, crab is the south coast's unhurried feast.
Ingredients
- 2 fresh live brown crabs
- 50 g salt per litre of water
- A handful of dill sprigs
- White bread, to serve
- Butter, to serve
- Mayonnaise, to serve
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Recommended Tools
- Large stockpotHolds enough salted water to cover both crabs.
- Crab crackersSplit the claws without shattering the meat.
- Crab pickTeases the sweet meat from the legs and joints.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Bring a very large pot of water to a rolling boil, salting it well at 50 g per litre and adding a good handful of dill.
- 2
Lower the live crabs in head-first, bring the water back to the boil, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes depending on their size.
- 3
Lift the crabs out and set them on their backs to cool completely.
- 4
Crack the claws, open up the body and clean out the shell, keeping both the brown and white meat.
- 5
Serve the crab cold with bread, butter, mayonnaise and lemon wedges.
Chef's Tip
Chill the live crabs in the freezer for a couple of hours before cooking — it sedates them, the humane way to start, and stops them shedding their claws the moment they hit the boiling water.
Chef's Tip
Cooling them on their backs keeps the juices from draining away, so the body meat stays sweet and moist.
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