This crab, crustacea stock also features in my cooking class videos which form part of the Cook at Home with Tonya series. Crab stock is also one of the Fundamental Foundations of Cookery – Stock making.
In the video, I made this stock with my crayfish, Morten Bay bug shells and prawn shells that were leftover from a recent celebration dinner. They were taking up a lot of room in my freezer. I always freeze prawn shells to add into either fish or crustacea stocks; never discard them as they add great flavour. When we make this in cooking classes I always use 2 blue swimmer crabs.
To be a good cook you need to master the fundamentals of cookery and stock-making is one of those. The best stock is full of flavour, colour, body and aroma. Good stock is the key to making sensational sauces which enliven your dishes and is the basis for all good soups, braises and stews.
I use this stock to add into a fish pie, a fish stew, a bourride which is a Provençal fish stew or soup, a bouillabaisse, everything that requires a flavourful fish sauce.
| Ingredients | |
| 500g swimmer crabs, cut into 4 Prawn shells from the bourride ½ fennel 2 stalks celery 1 clove garlic 200ml white wine – sauvignon blanc 1 x leek 6 x roma tomatoes |
3 litres cold fish stock – see our recipe 1 x star anise 1 x fresh bay leaf 6 x white peppercorns 6 x parsley stalks 2 x sprigs tarragon |
Splash some olive oil into the bottom of a large pot and heat until very hot. Gently put the crabs into the pot and shake them around, toss with the spatula, do not move around too much as that will extract too much liquid from the crabs. When they turn red turn down the heat. Add the prawn shells and cook until red.
Continue to sweat the shells with chopped vegetables without caramelising. Add the tomatoes and garlic, cook out well until pot is dry.
Add white wine and simmer till half is gone.
Add other ingredients, fish stock, star anise, bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley and tarragon simmer gently, blurp, blurp for 30 minutes. Cover with glad wrap and stand for 1 hour before straining.
Options: add cream and extra seafood, such as prawns, crab, vongoles, mussels, fish, to make into a bisque.
