Txangurro a la Donostiarra
Txangurro a la donostiarra is a Basque holiday showpiece: sweet spider crab meat folded into a brandy-laced tomato and leek sofrito, packed back into the shell, topped with breadcrumbs and browned under the grill.
Approximate, per 1 stuffed crab shell (~180g). Values vary by recipe and portion.
Ingredients
- ·2 cooked spider crabs (or 400 g mixed crab meat)
- ·1 onion, finely chopped
- ·1 leek, finely chopped
- ·2 cloves garlic, minced
- ·2 ripe tomatoes, grated
- ·50 ml brandy
- ·50 ml dry white wine
- ·3 tbsp olive oil
- ·40 g breadcrumbs
- ·20 g butter
- ·A pinch of cayenne or dried chilli
- ·Salt and black pepper
- ·Chopped parsley
Method
- 1
If starting with whole crabs, pick out all the white and brown meat, keeping the empty shells to serve in, and reserve any juices.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a pan and gently soften the onion, leek and garlic for 8-10 minutes until sweet and translucent.
- 3
Stir in the grated tomato and cook down for another 5-8 minutes into a thick sofrito.
- 4
Pour in the brandy and white wine, add a pinch of cayenne, and simmer to reduce the liquid.
- 5
Fold the crab meat and its reserved juices into the sofrito, season, and warm through for a couple of minutes.
- 6
Spoon the mixture into the cleaned crab shells or individual gratin dishes.
- 7
Scatter over the breadcrumbs, dot with butter, and grill or bake at 200C until golden and bubbling.
- 8
Finish with parsley and serve hot.