In 2016, Harry Foster came third on Masterchef, but if you ask us, he is one of the best seafood chefs around. He is a proud OneFishTwoFish ambassador, and he joined us from Tweed Head in far northern NSW to share a few tips on how to prepare mudcrab like a pro.
“There are plenty of ways to cook a muddie and there’s also plenty of ways to bugger it up,” he explains. “You can’t get a fresh mudcrab without putting a good amount of effort or money in so you really want to make sure you nail it when it comes time for the cook-up!”
It’s nowhere near as complex as you might think, but as always, getting the simple things right is not always easy. To boil a whole mudcrab perfectly, there’s only a couple of things you will need.
- A big pot: Big enough to fit a crab or two
- Salt water: Water straight from the ocean is the best. Don’t settle for any less. If you don’t have access to the ocean, you’re too far away and you’re going to need to move. Failing that, adding sea salt to tap water will do.
- High Heat: You want your pot of water to be on a steady boil from the moment you put your crab in!
Method:
1. Place your mudcrab in the fridge or an ice cold esky for 15 minutes prior to cooking (He’ll go to sleep)
2. Bring your pot of seawater to a steady boil and keep on high.
3. Pop your crab straight into the water and set your timer for 16 minutes - If he’s a real big boy (over 2kgs) or there’s multiple crabs in the pot, add an extra couple of minutes
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Once cooked, take your crab and plunge him straight into a salty ice water bath - Ice and seawater is best
5. Let cool then detach the top of the carapace from the bottom then pick off the lungs on the side and discard. Tap the crab upside down to remove the coral (only if you really want) and he’s ready to serve!
Enjoy on white bread with mayo, tabasco sauce and lemon juice!
Check out https://www.offthebeatencoast.co/recipes for more great ideas from Harry’s kitchen.