Ingredients
Land crab
- 6land crabs, cooked
- with their shells reserved
- or 500 g picked crab meat and 6 shells
Creole seasoning
- 1onion, finely chopped
- 4spring onions, finely sliced
- 3garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 sprigsthyme, leaves picked
- 2 tablespoonschopped parsley
- half a bonda man Jacques pepper, chopped
- or half a scotch bonnet, chopped
- 1 tablespoonchopped celery leaf
- 60 gbutter
To bind
- 80 gfresh breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoonsmilk
- juice of 1 lime
- salt and black pepper
To top
- 40 gbreadcrumbs
- a little melted butter
Directions
- Take only what you will actually use. Dominicans take this step seriously. Chill the crab in the freezer for twenty minutes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil them for about twelve minutes.
- Lift them out and let them cool. Picking the meat takes real patience. Pull the top shell away from the body. Set those top shells aside carefully. Remove and discard the feathery gills. Pick all the white meat from the body. Crack the claws and pick them out too.
- Keep any orange fat from inside the shell. Spread the picked meat on a plate. Remove every single one you find. Take your time over this step. Remove any remaining membrane inside.
- Boil them for five minutes to sterilise them. Dry them thoroughly afterwards. Set them out on a baking tray. Bonda man Jacques is a Dominican hot pepper. Use it sparingly and wear gloves. Never touch your eyes after handling it.
- Melt the butter in a wide pan. Add the onion and spring onions. Cook them for about six minutes until soft. Add the garlic, celery leaf and pepper. Cook them for one full minute. Take the pan off the heat entirely. Combining it needs a light hand.
- Add the picked crab meat to the pan. Add the thyme and the parsley. Add the breadcrumbs and the milk. Squeeze in the juice of the lime. Season it with salt and black pepper. Fold everything together gently. It should be moist but not wet.
- Add more breadcrumbs if it is loose. Add a little more milk if it is dry. Spoon the mixture into each cleaned shell. Mound it up slightly above the rim. Press it down gently to hold it. Scatter the topping breadcrumbs over. Baking them takes about twenty minutes. Heat the oven to 190C before baking. Bake them for about twenty minutes. The tops should be golden and crisp.
- Put them under the grill briefly for more colour. Serving them is done hot in the shell. Set one shell down on each plate. Serve lime wedges alongside them. Unbaked filled shells keep a day refrigerated.
Technique
- Grenada makes essentially the same preparation under the singular name crab back, and the two differ by island rather than by method.
- Land crabs must reach the sea to breed, and their numbers have declined in parts of the Caribbean from habitat loss and heavy harvesting together.
- Caught crabs are traditionally penned and fed on coconut or corn for several days to purge them, which noticeably improves the flavour.
Substitutions
- Picked crab meat from a fishmonger saves the whole cooking and picking stage.
- Scotch bonnet stands in for bonda man Jacques, which is closely related to it.
Variations
- Some cooks add a little cheese to the topping.
- A version with more pepper is made for those who want heat.
- Crab back in Grenada is the same dish under a different island’s name.
History
Seasoned land crab meat baked and served in the shell, a Creole starter of the Windward Islands.
Frequently asked questions
What is Crab backs?
Crab backs is a snack from Dominica: land-crab meat seasoned and baked in shells. Seasoned land crab meat baked and served in the shell, a Creole starter of the Windward Islands.
How long does Crab backs take to make?
Crab backs takes 45 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Crab backs?
Yes, within limits. Picked crab meat from a fishmonger saves the whole cooking and picking stage. Scotch bonnet stands in for bonda man Jacques, which is closely related to it.
What is the most important thing to get right in Crab backs?
Boil them for five minutes to sterilise them. Dry them thoroughly afterwards. Set them out on a baking tray. Bonda man Jacques is a Dominican hot pepper. Use it sparingly and wear gloves. Never touch your eyes after handling it.
