AI-generated image
Txangurro a la donostiarra
Baked spider crab
Txangurro a la donostiarra: San Sebastián spider crab baked in its shell with a vegetable sofrito
SpanishIn San Sebastián the spider crab (txangurro) is a winter treat, at its best from November to April, and the old bars of the Parte Vieja serve it bubbling hot in the shell. The picked crab meat is mixed with a slow sofrito of onion, leek, carrot and tomato, often splashed with brandy, then topped with breadcrumbs and butter and browned. This recipe uses brandy; leave it out or use the same amount of crab cooking water for an alcohol-free version. A common mistake is a wet filling that boils under the crumbs; cook the sofrito down until thick. Chef's tip: use a cooked crab from the fishmonger on the day you buy it, and scrub the shell well if you plan to serve in it.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 leekfinely chopped
- 1 carrotfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 ripe tomatoesgrated, skins discarded
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
For the topping
- 3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
- ⅔ oz butterin small pieces
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Twist off the legs and claws of the 1 cooked spider crab or brown crab, about 1.5 kg (or 400 g picked crab meat and 4 ramekins), crack them and pick out all the meat. Lift off the top shell, scoop out the brown meat, and pick the white meat from the body, removing the grey feathery gills and any bits of shell. Keep the meat chilled. Scrub the top shell if serving in it.
25 minStep 3: Add 2 ripe tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes until thick and jammy, with no liquid running when you draw a spoon through.
10 minStep 4: Stir in the crab meat, ½ tsp salt and 1 pinch cayenne pepper. Pour in the 2 tbsp brandy (optional; or crab cooking water) and simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the alcohol has cooked off and the mixture is thick and moist.
5 minStep 5: Heat the grill to high. Spoon the filling into the shell or ramekins, smooth the top, sprinkle with 3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs and dot with ⅔ oz butter.
5 minStep 6: Bake at 400°F for 8–10 minutes, then grill for 2–3 minutes until the crumbs are golden and the filling is bubbling and piping hot in the centre (167°F). Sprinkle with 1 tbsp chopped parsley and serve hot.
13 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does txangurro a la donostiarra take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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 leek?
- 1 onion per leek.
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
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
Midia saganakiMussels with tomato and feta
Thessaloniki is Greece's mussel capital, with farms in the Thermaic Gulf a few kilometres from the seafront ouzeries where this two-handled pan arrives, still bubbling, at the table. Mussels steam open in a quick sauce of peppers, tomato and chilli, and crumbled feta melts into the juices at the end. Bread is essential. The classic version adds a splash of ouzo; this one is alcohol-free, using a pinch of fennel seed for that aniseed note (add 2 tbsp ouzo with the tomatoes if you like). Common mistake: overcooking — take the pan off the heat as soon as the shells open. Chef's tip: buy mussels on the day and keep them in the fridge in a bowl covered with a damp cloth, never in water.
Greek
Arroz con pitu de caleyaSoupy rice with chicken
A pitu de caleya is a cockerel raised free in the lanes, or caleyas, of rural Asturias; its firm, flavourful meat needs long stewing, and families around Villaviciosa and Grado still cook it for feast days. The stew is often finished as a soupy rice, so the deep chicken juices go into every grain. Use the best free-range chicken you can find. The braise includes dry white wine; replace it with extra stock and a squeeze of lemon if you want it alcohol-free. Chef's tip: brown the chicken slowly and deeply; that colour is where the flavour of the whole pot comes from.