Roasted Crab with Tomato
Prep
20 mins
Cook
35 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
Sweet succulent crab claws roasted with a vibrant tomato sauce infused with garlic, basil, and white wine, creating a restaurant-quality coastal dish that's surprisingly simple to prepare.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 2whole crabs(about 1.5 lbs each, cleaned and halved)
- ¾ kgcherry tomatoes(halved)
- 6garlic cloves(minced)
- 4 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
- 237 mldry white wine
- 12 leavesfresh basil(torn)
- 1 teaspoonsea salt
- ½ teaspoonblack pepper
- ¼ teaspoonred pepper flakes
- 1lemon(zest and juice)
- 2 tablespoonstomato paste
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the crab halves dry with paper towels and arrange them on a large roasting pan, cut-side up.
Tip: Dry crabs ensure better browning and caramelization during roasting.
- 2
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds to deepen its flavor.
Tip: Cooking tomato paste briefly helps concentrate its umami flavors.
- 3
Pour in the white wine and scrape any browned bits from the pan. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften.
Tip: The wine reduces slightly, intensifying the sauce's complexity.
- 4
Pour the tomato sauce over and around the crab pieces in the roasting pan, distributing the tomatoes evenly. Drizzle with the olive oil from the skillet.
- 5
Roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the crab shells turn bright orange-red and the meat is cooked through. The sauce should be bubbling at the edges.
Tip: Crab is done when the meat pulls away easily from the shell.
- 6
Remove from the oven and sprinkle the torn basil leaves over the crab and sauce. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice and zest.
Tip: Adding basil after cooking preserves its delicate aromatic qualities.
- 7
Transfer to a serving platter with the sauce spooned generously over the top. Serve immediately with crusty bread to soak up the flavorful pan juices.
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