AI-generated image
Relyenong alimango (stuffed crab shells)
Crab meat and pork sautéed with vegetables, bound with egg, packed into shells and fried golden
FilipinoRelyenong alimango is a showpiece for Luzon town fiestas, when crab is the luxury that tells guests the host has gone all out. Crab meat is sautéed with pork mince, tomato and vegetables, bound with egg and packed back into crab shells, then fried face down until a golden egg crust seals the top. This home version uses ready-cooked, pasteurised crab meat and cleaned crab shells (or ramekins or scallop shells), so there are no live crabs to deal with. It is sweet, savoury and rich; serve with banana ketchup or a vinegar and garlic dip and rice. Chef's tip: pick through the crab meat on a plate with your fingertips; any stray bit of shell spoils the soft filling.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the filling
- 14 oz cooked crab meatpasteurised or freshly cooked, picked over for shell
- 7 oz pork mince
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 1 tomatoseeded, finely diced
- 1 carrotsmall, finely diced
- 2 spring onionsfinely sliced
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 3 eggsbeaten
To fill and fry
- 6 cleaned crab shellslarge top shells, scrubbed and dried; or ramekins or scallop shells
- ¾ cup vegetable oilfor shallow frying
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (7)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic until soft, about 3 minutes.
3 minStep 2: Add the 7 oz pork mince and fry, breaking it up, until it is no longer pink anywhere and reaches 160°F, about 6 minutes.
6 minStep 3: Add the 1 carrot and 1 tomato and cook until the carrot is tender and the tomato has dried out, about 5 minutes, then stir in the 14 oz cooked crab meat, 1 tbsp fish sauce and ½ tsp ground black pepper for 2 minutes.
7 minStep 4: Tip into a sieve set over a bowl and leave to drain and cool for 10 minutes. Common mistake: packing in a wet, hot filling; it steams the egg, will not set and slides out of the shells.
10 minStep 5: Mix the cooled filling with the 2 spring onions and two-thirds of the 2 eggs.
2 minStep 6: Pack the filling firmly into the 6 cleaned crab shells, mounding it slightly and smoothing the top. Brush the tops generously with the remaining 1 eggs.
8 minStep 7: Heat the ¾ cup vegetable oil in a wide frying pan to 350°F (a cube of bread browns in 40 seconds). Fry the shells stuffing side down, two or three at a time, for 3–4 minutes, until the top is golden and set firm.
12 minStep 8: Turn them shell side down for 1–2 minutes more so the filling heats through to 160°F, then drain on kitchen paper. For ramekins, bake at 400°F for 15 minutes instead, until golden and set.
6 minStep 9: Serve hot with rice and your dip.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does relyenong alimango (stuffed crab shells) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Tiyula itumBlack beef soup
Tiyula itum, 'black soup', is the pride of the Tausug people of Sulu in the far south of the Philippines, cooked for weddings, Eid celebrations and when guests come home. Beef (it is a halal, pork-free dish) is simmered with ginger, lemongrass and turmeric, then darkened with pamapa itum, a paste of grated coconut toasted until almost black and pounded with spices. The broth looks dramatic but tastes smoky, earthy and gently peppery, with heat from chillies. Serve it with plain rice. Chef's tip: toast the coconut slowly, stirring all the time, until it is very dark brown but not ashy; burnt-to-ash coconut tastes bitter and ruins the soup.
Moreton Bay bugsSlipper lobster with garlic butter
Moreton Bay bugs are the flat, shovel-nosed slipper lobsters caught off the Queensland coast around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and for Queenslanders they are a summer treat, split and grilled at the beach house. The tail meat is sweet and rich, somewhere between lobster and prawn. Buy them raw, frozen or fresh, from a fishmonger and ask them to halve them if you like. A common mistake is overcooking, which makes the meat rubbery; it is ready the moment it turns white. Chef's tip: grill flesh side down first to mark it, then turn and baste in the shell.
Australian
Lumpiang sariwaFresh vegetable spring rolls
Lumpiang sariwa ('fresh lumpia') is the unfried cousin of the crisp Filipino spring roll, served at fiestas, family gatherings and as a substantial afternoon merienda around Manila and the Tagalog provinces. A thin, soft egg crepe is wrapped around a lettuce leaf and a warm sauté of sweet potato, jicama, carrot, green beans, cabbage and tofu, then covered in a glossy brown garlic sauce and a shower of crushed peanuts. In Negros the filling is heart of palm (ubod) instead. It is eaten with a knife and fork, or carefully by hand. Chef's tip: make the crepes thin enough that you can almost see light through them; thick ones turn rubbery and hide the filling.