Filipino Recipe
Curacha Crabs in Specialty Alavar Sauce from the Alavar Seafood House in Zamboanga
Alavar Seafood House Zamboanga
Photo by Carol Elep
This recipe uses curacha crab, which is apparently found in the depths of the Jolo sea in Zamboanga. To be honest, a crab is just a crab to me. A crustacean with a hard shell that walks like a spider. LOL
I thought it is a good time to find out what a curacha crab is so googled for it and this is what the great Wikipedia had to say about it:
“Curacha also known as spanner crab or red frog crab is a local Chavacano name given to a sea crab species found in Sulu provinceZamboanga. It is uniquely found in the deep-waters of Jolo and nowhere else in the world. Curacha abound in waters of Sulu but not Zamboanga. It is known as “Kagang Pamah in Tausug. It is a hybrid crustacean, with crossbreed characteristics of a large sea crab and a big spiny lobster. It is a large crab with a red color, which stays the same in color even when cooked. The crab is usually steamed or boiled so its flavor is preserved. “
That seems to be pretty clear. Anyhow the curacha crab sounds rather special and therefore needs a special sauce to go with it and a certain restaurant in Zamboanga has patented a very appetising recipe just for the curacha crab which since made the restaurant itself quite famous.
The recipe below is adapted from a blog – http://filipinofoodaficionado.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/king-crab-clusters-in-alavar-sauce.html
Ingredients:
- 3 curacha crabs
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped finely
- 3 tbsp ginger, crushed
- 8 cloves garlic, minced and chopped finely
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon annatto seeds (diluted in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to extract the pigment)
- 2 large red chillies, chopped
- 1/4 cup crab roe paste
- 250 ml coconut milk (for making latik – coconut milk residue left when coconut milk is cooked until it turns to oil)
- 250 ml coconut milk (for the sauce)
- salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
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Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute garlic, onions and ginger until the onion becomes translucent and soft, around 10 minutes.
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Add the turmeric, paprika, curry powder, oil from the annatto-oil mixture and fresh chillies. Add the latik, crab roe paste and coconut milk. Season to taste. Bring to a rapid boil. Lower heat and simmer for five minutes.
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Puree the sauce. (optional)
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Put the pureed sauce back to the pan. Add the curacha crabs and cook for around 15 minutes until the crab meat is cooked through.
2. Bring the coconut milk to a boil.
3. Stir the coconut milk until most of the liquid evaporates. This will take about 12 to 15 minutes per cup of coconut milk.
4. When the texture turns gelatinous, lower the heat and continue stirring. Oil should be separating from the milk at this stage.
5. Continue stirring until brownish residues are formed. Turn off the heat and place the latik in a container.
