Crab and Harissa Soup
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3 whole blue swimmer crabs (about 750grams)
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1 teaspoon cumin
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1 teaspoon caraway seeds
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1 teaspoon coriander seeds
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1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
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1/3 cup or 2 3/4 ozs soft brown sugar
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a pinch of chilli flakes
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Salt and pepper
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150ml/5 fl ozs vegetable oil
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4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
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3 red capsicums, seeded and chopped
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2 cloves garlic, chopped
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1 red onion, chopped
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1.5 litres/6 cups/52 fl ozs. fish or chicken stock
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1/2 bunch coriander
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3 sprigs mint
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You will also need a mallet or French rolling pin
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Prepare the crabs-it's much easier than you might think. Have a large bowl ready. Remove the tab from the underside of the crab and then separate the top shell from the bottom shell. The meat will come with the bottom shell. remove the "dead man's gills" and then cut the crab into quarters using a heavy chef's knife. Place in a bowl being sure to collect all of the juice and meat.
Step 2 - Prepare the spice mix by toasting the cumin, caraway, coriander and fenugreek seeds in a small dry saucepan until the coriander seeds start to pop and they become fragrant. Grind in a mortar and pestle and then sprinkle over the crabs in the bowl along with the brown sugar, chilli flakes, salt and pepper.
Step 3 - Place a sturdy roasting tin in the oven-don't use your best one as you will be smashing at it with a mallet. When it is hot, add the oil and then the crab and spices. Mix together well and then bake for 20 minutes. After the first 5 or 10 minutes take out the tin and use a heavy mallet or rolling pin to smash at the crab. It gets easier as the crab cooks and to avoid giving your kitchen a Jackson Pollock, cover the tin with a teatowel and smash it underneath it (or just press heavily with the mallet to crush the shells). Do this one or two more times within the 20 minute period.
Step 4 - Then add the capsicum, tomato, garlic and onion to the tin and stir to combine. Cook for an hour taking it out two or three times to smash up the shells-or more if you're really feeling the fury. It should start to smell incredible at this point so you may want to restrain anyone rowdy and hungry...
Step 5 - Heat up a large saucepan or cast iron pot that can fit the soup in it and transfer the contents of the tin into the pot. Heat with the warmed stock and add the coriander and mint and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Using a stick blender, blend it up as much as possible. You won't be able to do the large legs or the large back shell but don't worry, do as much as possible. run through a fine sieve making sure to press it down to get all of the liquid. There will be a lot of liquid so keep pressing-this is preciously good! Serve with some freshly baked bread.