Yellow spider crab
This spectacular dish from Elena Arzak consists of two separate, delicate preparations of spider crab hidden beneath an ornate, painted crab shell: crab and roe flambéed with brandy, and crab mixed with truffle and sherry vinegar vinaigrette. The crab shell takes several days to dry, so be sure to start well in advance of when you want to serve.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
'Collagenized' scorpionfish broth
- 1 scorpionfish, about 600g
- 3l water
Dressed and 'collagenized' crab
- 2 spider crabs
- 45g of grapeseed oil
- 7g of sherry vinegar
- 12.5g of truffle juice
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Flambéed spider crab and roe
- 2 spider crabs
- oil
- 2 onions, peeled and minced
- 1 ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
- 120ml of brandy
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Painted crab shells
- yellow edible paint
Creamed cauliflower
- 1 cauliflower, cut into pieces, tough stems removed
- 1 pinch of star anise
- 15g of double cream
- 20g of butter
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For garnish
- 1 pinch of star anise
- 1 pinch of fresh chives, finely sliced
- 1 pinch of micro cress
Method
To make the ‘collagenized’ scorpionfish broth, first scale and gut the fish scorpionfish. Once it is clean, cut the whole fish into pieces (including the head)
- 1 scorpionfish, about 600g
Put the chopped up fish into a large saucepan, and cover with the water. Bring to a simmer, and skim and scum that forms on the surface
- 3l water
Cook over a low heat until the liquid is reduced by 80%. Strain the scorpionfish broth, and transfer to the fridge to chill. Once cool, it should be completely gelled
Next, prepare the crab. Add the two spider crabs to a large saucepan and cover with water, measuring how much water you add. Season the water with salt, adding 40g salt per litre of water
Boil the crabs for 10 minutes, then remove from the water
Extract all the meat from the crab, cleaning and setting aside the large shells from the crabs’ bodies. Pick over the meat carefully to check for pieces of shell. Separate the roe from the meat, and set aside
Whisk together the oil, vinegar and truffle juice to make a vinaigrette. Set aside
- 45g of grapeseed oil
- 7g of sherry vinegar
- 12.5g of truffle juice
For the flambéed spider crab and roe, first cook and clean the next two spider crabs as in the previous few steps, cleaning and setting aside the large shells from the crabs’ bodies again
Fry the onion with a little bit of oil until soft, then add the tomato. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes
- oil
- 2 onions, peeled and minced
- 1 ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
Add the crab meat with roe of all four crabs to the pan, flambé with brandy, stir, and cook over a low heat for a couple more minutes
- 120ml of brandy
Taste, and adjust the seasoning if required
Dry the reserved crab shells well. Paint the outside of the crab shells with yellow edible paint, and let dry for several days
- yellow edible paint
For the cauliflower, boil it in salted water until tender, and then drain well
- 1 cauliflower, cut into pieces, tough stems removed
- salt
Blend the cauliflower with the star anise, cream and butter - it should be quite thick. Season with salt and pepper and set aside
- 1 pinch of star anise
- 15g of double cream
- 20g of butter
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
When ready to serve, add one teaspoon of the collagenized scorpionfish broth to the non-flambéed crab meat and add the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well, ensuring that it is evenly combined
To plate, put the flambéed crab meat and roe and collagenized crab in two small mounds opposite each other. Top with some creamed cauliflower, and sprinkle with a bit more ground star anise and chives
- 1 pinch of star anise
- 1 pinch of fresh chives, finely sliced
Finish with a pinch of green sprouts, and cover with the yellow crab shell
- 1 pinch of micro cress
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