Marcus Bawdon shares his recipe for barbecue spider crab
Added on
June 30, 2013
‘I love this barbecue spider crab recipe,’ says Marcus.
‘Despite the majority of spider crabs being shipped to France and Spain where it’s as highly prized as lobster, you can pick one up for a song from good local fishmongers. Try and get a large male crab as this will have meatier claws.’
So you’ve got your live spider crab home but it would be cruel to put it straight on the barbecue, so pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours, and then to make sure it’s dead, drive a flat head screwdriver between the eyes and wiggle.
Place the crab on red hot coals on your barbecue. While the crab starts cooking, prepare the flavoured butter by combining the butter, chilli, crushed garlic, a handful of shredded coriander leaves and a squeeze of lime.
Brush the butter onto the crab and cook for 5-6 minutes each side, brushing the legs with the butter all the while. It should smell amazing by now.
Once it’s well cooked, remove from the barbecue and break off the legs and claws.
Then, using a sharp knife, split the underside of the crab in half. The dead men’s fingers will need to be removed and discarded. They’re the grey coloured feathery gills found inside the main body and are inedible.
Brush the crab with some more of the butter and crack the legs and claws open with the back of a knife.
Serve the crab with crisp salad leaves and a crisp
white wine.
Supported by
You will need
Spider crab 1
Butter 100g, melted
Red chilli 1, finely chopped
Garlic 3 cloves, crushed
Coriander leaves handful, shredded
Lime a squeeze
Method
So you’ve got your live spider crab home but it would be cruel to put it straight on the barbecue, so pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours, and then to make sure it’s dead, drive a flat head screwdriver between the eyes and wiggle.
Place the crab on red hot coals on your barbecue. While the crab starts cooking, prepare the flavoured butter by combining the butter, chilli, crushed garlic, a handful of shredded coriander leaves and a squeeze of lime.
Brush the butter onto the crab and cook for 5-6 minutes each side, brushing the legs with the butter all the while. It should smell amazing by now.
Once it’s well cooked, remove from the barbecue and break off the legs and claws.
Then, using a sharp knife, split the underside of the crab in half. The dead men’s fingers will need to be removed and discarded. They’re the grey coloured feathery gills found inside the main body and are inedible.
Brush the crab with some more of the butter and crack the legs and claws open with the back of a knife.
Serve the crab with crisp salad leaves and a crisp
white wine.
So you’ve got your live spider crab home but it would be cruel to put it straight on the barbecue, so pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours, and then to make sure it’s dead, drive a flat head screwdriver between the eyes and wiggle.
Place the crab on red hot coals on your barbecue. While the crab starts cooking, prepare the flavoured butter by combining the butter, chilli, crushed garlic, a handful of shredded coriander leaves and a squeeze of lime.
Brush the butter onto the crab and cook for 5-6 minutes each side, brushing the legs with the butter all the while. It should smell amazing by now.
Once it’s well cooked, remove from the barbecue and break off the legs and claws.
Then, using a sharp knife, split the underside of the crab in half. The dead men’s fingers will need to be removed and discarded. They’re the grey coloured feathery gills found inside the main body and are inedible.
Brush the crab with some more of the butter and crack the legs and claws open with the back of a knife.
Serve the crab with crisp salad leaves and a crisp
white wine.
Get the latest news, recipes, interviews, competitions and more delivered direct to your inbox via the Food Magazine newsletter.
Cookie & Privacy policy
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.