Baked Common Crab

Name: Baked Common Crab
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (125 ml) whipping cream (35 percent butterfat); 1/4 cup (60 ml) light soy sauce; 1/4 cup (60 ml) mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon ketchup; 2 egg yolks; 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce; 1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger; 1 teaspoon grated garlic; 1 pound (455 g) crabmeat, drained and picked over for shell bits and cartilage (if you’re buying frozen crabmeat, a standard 14-ounce/400-g block is fine); 4 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and finely shaved; 1/4 cup (10 g) minced fresh chives or green onion tops; 1 Thai bird chile, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

January 24, 2012

Of all the crab we receive at the restaurant, West Coast Dungeness and the common crab from the Saint Lawrence (tourteau, brown crab, or Jonah) are our favorites. Many of the same guys who fish for lobster in these areas also fish for crab. But oddly enough, these crabs don’t make it to Montreal. Instead, they’re highjacked somewhere along the way for the Asian market. The crab is typically picked clean and frozen in blocks, shipped to China (for example), sawed, and only then sent back in one-pound (455-gram) packs. Although we make a point of using PEI or Quebec crab, Maine seems to understand the game a bit better. At Portland’s Browne Trading Company, you can buy fresh, handpicked Jonah crab, meat and claws: our dream. Whatever crab you buy (or catch!), make very sure to check the meat closely for bits of shell and cartilage that might have been left.

Recipe notes

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