Roasted Crab with Courgette
Prep
20 mins
Cook
25 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
Sweet, succulent crab meat nestled with tender roasted courgette, finished with garlic, lemon, and a drizzle of herb-infused oil for an elegant yet simple seafood dish.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 2whole live crabs(approximately 1.5 kg total)
- 3courgettes(medium, halved lengthwise)
- 6 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
- 5garlic cloves(thinly sliced)
- 2fresh lemon(juiced, zest reserved)
- 3 tablespoonsfresh parsley(chopped)
- 2 sprigsfresh thyme
- 1 teaspoonsea salt
- ½ teaspoonblack pepper(freshly ground)
- ¼ teaspoonred chilli flakes
- 100 mlvegetable stock
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Humanely dispatch the crabs using a sharp knife through the cross on their shells, then cut each crab in half lengthwise.
Tip: Chilling crabs in the freezer for 15 minutes before dispatching makes the process more humane.
- 2
Arrange the courgette halves skin-side down on a large roasting tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 10 minutes to begin softening.
Tip: Pre-roasting the courgettes ensures they cook evenly with the crab.
- 3
Remove the tray from the oven and nestle the crab halves among the courgettes. Scatter the sliced garlic, thyme sprigs, and lemon zest over everything.
Tip: Place the crab meat-side up to allow the garlic and herbs to infuse into the flesh.
- 4
Drizzle the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil over the crabs and courgettes. Pour the vegetable stock around the edges of the tray.
Tip: The stock creates steam that helps the crab cook gently and keeps everything moist.
- 5
Return to the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes until the crab shells turn bright orange-red and the flesh is opaque. The courgettes should be golden and tender.
Tip: Crab is cooked when the shell changes colour and the meat flakes easily from the shell.
- 6
Remove from the oven and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the entire dish. Scatter with fresh chopped parsley and a pinch of red chilli flakes.
Tip: Adding lemon juice at the end brightens the flavours without cooking off the fresh citrus notes.
- 7
Transfer to serving plates, ensuring each portion gets both crab and courgette, and drizzle with the pan juices.
Tip: Serve immediately with crusty bread to soak up the delicious garlic and herb-infused juices.
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