Dressed Pembrokeshire Crab
Delicate white and rich brown meat from fresh Pembrokeshire crab, lightly seasoned and neatly arranged in the shell with brown bread.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Equipment
- •Rolling pin or crab crackers
- •Crab pick or small metal skewer
- •Small mixing bowls
- •Kitchen scissors
- •Chef's knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 22 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 34 g
- calories
- 380 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Twist off the large claws and small legs from both crabs, then set them onto a clean chopping board.
- 2
Place your thumbs under the rear flap of the main body and firmly push upwards to detach the shell.
- 3
Pull off and discard the spongy, grey gills known as dead man's fingers from around the central body.
- 4
Remove and discard the hard stomach sac situated directly behind the crab's eyes.
- 5
Scoop all soft brown meat from inside the top shells into a small mixing bowl.
- 6
Crack the claws and legs gently using a rolling pin, then pick out all white meat into a separate bowl.
- 7
Cut the central honeycomb body in half and carefully pick out the remaining white meat with a skewer.
- 8
Wash the empty top crab shells thoroughly in warm soapy water, rinse clean, and dry them well.
- 9
Stir the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper into the brown meat.
- 10
Toss the white crab meat gently with the chopped parsley and a light pinch of sea salt.
- 11
Spoon the seasoned brown meat into both sides of each cleaned shell.
- 12
Fill the centre neatly with the fluffy white crab meat and serve with lemon wedges, butter, and brown bread.
Chef's tips
Always run your fingers thoroughly through the picked white meat to detect and discard tiny fragments of shell. Keep the crab chilled until just before serving to preserve its delicate sweetness.
Ingredient substitutions
- cooked whole Pembrokeshire brown crabs → 150g fresh white crab meat and 100g fresh brown crab meat served in small ramekins
- salted Welsh butter → standard salted butter or dairy-free spread
Storage
Keep dressed crab refrigerated in an airtight container or covered tightly with foil for up to 24 hours.
Reheating
This dish is traditionally served cold and should not be reheated.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Leaving bits of sharp shell or cartilage in the white meat by rushing the picking process.
- •Over-seasoning the white crab meat, which masks its naturally sweet, delicate flavour.
- •Failing to clean the top shells thoroughly before refilling them.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Dressed Pembrokeshire Crab?
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