Mud Crab Toasts

Method

Cooking a Muddy

• 1)

  If you have live mud crabs pop them into an ice bath for 30 mins to send them to sleep. Boil a pot of sea water or heavily salted water and pop crab in from the ice bath for 11 mins with lid on pot. Remove crab and place into ice bath until cooled. Now are you ready to pick the meat.

• 2)

  As shown in the reel, flip your crab over and remove the head from the tail. Remove the legs by twisting them out and be sure to save any meat that comes out with them.

• 3)

  Rinse the body underwater if you need to remove the guts then crack the body in half, then in half again and use a skewer to help you remove the meat from the shell. I like to pop it in a colander so any water on the meat can just drip away.

• 4)

  For the legs and claws, use the back of your knife to crack open the shell and pick the meat. It can be a bit fiddly but well worth it.

• 5)

  Our 2 crab yielded 250g of meat. Now you’re ready to make your toasts!!

Crab Toasts

• 1)

  To the crab meat, add the zest and juice of one lemon, 2 tbsp of crème fraîche, 1 tbsp of chopped dill, 1 tbsp  of chopped parsley, half a finely sliced chilli and 2 tbsp of baby capers. Add a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt and crack of pepper and mix it all together.

• 2)

  Slice 6 thin slices of sourdough and toast them on a grill, preferably in some olive oil to get some charring.

• 3)

  Top each slice with a spoonful of mixture until it’s evenly divided between the slices.

• 4)

  Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, some chilli, chopped dill and parsley.

• 5)

  I like to slice them in half to serve them up.

• 6)

  Enjoy!