Mud crab with pepperberry mayonnaise

Pepperberry mayonnaise is the perfect match for delicate crab meat.

Credit: Tropical Gourmet

• serves

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 whole uncooked mud crab (800g-1 kg), placed in the freezer for an hour or so to put to sleep
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 bunch thyme
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ tsp ground pepperberry
• 1 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• Salt

Chilling time: 1 hour

Instructions

To clean crab pull tail up with the thumbs and push forward to release shell. Clean the insides of bitter innards and feathers, leaving the rest intact.

Fill a wok one-third of the way up with water. Add the herbs and peppercorns and bring to the boil. Rest the mud crab in the wok and cover with a lid. Cook for 7-12 minutes.

Once cooked, immediately stop the cooking process by placing the crab in a bowl filled with ice and water.

Whisk together the mustard and egg yolks with a pinch of salt and pepperberry. Little by little add the oil ensuring the mayonnaise is whisked vigorously so it emulsifies. Once thick, add the lime zest and juice and season with salt.

Serve steamed crab with mayonnaise on the side.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.