The Life and Death of Chilli Spanner Crab

So I decide that its time I did some cooking other than the usual salad and steak. Had a look online for some recipes, see how things differed from each nation and culture, and embarked on the journey to make Chili Crab. Mud Crabs been a stable diet of most Asians, I decide to make Asian dishes with Australian produce. One such produce is alien and strange looking spanner crab.

Species Info

Spanner Crab

Ranina ranina
Description, Location, Habitat and Harvesting Information
Available wild-caught, these marine dwellers are found from close inshore to at least 100m, usually buried in sand from where they attack small bottom-dwelling fish. Their long, almost goblet-shaped, bright orange shells (even when uncooked) and spanner-shaped front claws are quite distinctive. Found around most of the Australian coast from NSW north to southern WA, they are caught commercially, mainly using dillies, but also as a bycatch of Prawn trawling, off southern Queensland and northern NSW. The fishery has increased greatly since the early 1980s.

Season
Available from January to October, peaking from July to October with the fishery closed for most of December.

Size and Weight
Commonly about 8.5cm in carapace width and 400g, but can grow to 15cm and 900g.

And what I failed to read erg ><

To Cook
The shell is burgundy-orange even when uncooked, turning a brighter orange when cooked. Average yield is 25% (from claws and body). The flesh is translucent when raw and white when cooked, it has a distinctive, sweet flavour, low oiliness and is soft and moist. The most humane, and easiest, method of killing any crustacean is to chill it in the freezer for about 45 minutes until it becomes insensible (but not long enough to freeze it). Once chilled, it should be killed promptly by splitting in half or dropping into rapidly boiling water. See www.rspca.org.au for more details.

Anyway, Molly and McRoy were pretty darn lively, and as I read the preparation guides for Spanner Crabs on my iphone, I noted the following line. "Twist the limps off to avoid tissue damage". Jesus I thought to myself. Meanwhile Molly squirmed in the sink trying to escape. Its times like these that I can really relate to what the vegans are always saying about animal cruelty because basically, to put it in District 9 terms…

1. Twist off claws
   
   1. A ghastly popping sound as Molly squirmed in my hand, it would be screaming in agony if it could make a sound. Bubbles foamed at his mouth while he writhed like a snake in my hand. When the claw came loose a gush of liquid usually kept internal within the crab ran all over my hand, a milk texture with the smell of sea salt. The low limbs of Molly clawed and struck the empty air as I made my move against his remaining claw. Its beady little prawn eyes looking for release from the pain but the worse is yet to come.
      
2. Take off Top shell
   
   1. McRoy was probably in shock from the pain of having his limbs removed by blunt trauma. I felt a gut wrenching sense of guilt at this time, so I tore with quick motion the plates protecting his low abdomen and wedged a finger between the back cartiledge and the main body. Then with one long heave I ripped the shell from him in one big pull. The sound was akin to air been released from a vacuum seal as the shell came off and a hand full of entrails, lungs and other blue red bits poured down the crab. I immediately took my cleaver and took it apart head first. The process took a few seconds, but damn it felt like a lifetime.
      
3. Clean Entrail
   
   1. Tearing off the lungs and cleaning the flesh and carcass significantly easier without the Molly thrashing in my hand. Damn.

Slightly batter in fine protein flour, stir fry in hot oil for 5 minutes, added chili, garlic, ginger and keep turning for one minute. Then add fish sauce, tomato paste, sweet chili sauce turn until mixed. Then add basil and coriander, turn until mixed. Closed lid for one minute and presto, delicious chili crab.

Good work Molly and McRoy, mum loved your succulent flesh!