Crab soup

Ingredients

4 medium blue swimmer crabs
(or any other suitable variety such as sand crabs)
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
425 grams can finely crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon freshly crushed garlic
1 teaspoon freshly crushed ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander roots and stem
1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Optional
4 finely chopped red chillies
Salt and pepper to taste
bouillon crabes crab bouillon

Method

Clean up crabs and break/cut into serving pieces. You may also carefully crack the claws to make it easy for eating the cooked meat within. Keep the crab swimmers in a separate dish.

Season the crab pieces (not the swimmers) with salt and pepper to taste.

Add oil into a deep saucepan and heat to simmering point. Reduce heat to medium heat. Add the chopped onions, thyme, ginger and garlic. Cook until the chopped onions become transparent.

Add the crushed tomatoes. Mix well and increase heat to high. Simmer until the tomato sauce is well blended and the tomatoes cooked. Stir at intervals to prevent burning.

Add the chopped coriander roots and stem, chopped red chillies if desired and 1 cup hot water. Mix well and simmer again until the sauce is well blended.

Add the 2 cups of chicken stock. You may add some more hot water if desired to increase quantity of bouillon.

Bring to the boil. Add the crab swimmers and allow the bouillon to boil for 10-15 minutes.

To prevent the crab pieces from being overcooked. Bring the bouillon back to the boil just 10-15 minutes before serving.

Add the crab pieces and allow to simmer until the crab pieces turn red. Taste the bouillon and season again with salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

Serve immediately.
Can be eaten as a bouillon on its own or eaten with rice and chatini pomme d'amour and piments.

Close your eyes and see yourself in La Rue Royale, Port Louis in a l'hotel Chinois.

Source

Madeleine's recipe : Mauritian Crab Soup

Discover more of Madeleine’s Mauritian cuisine in‘Best of Mauritian Cuisine’ by Madeleine and Clancy Philippe