Fabes with spider crab

How to prepare fabes with spider crab. A vegetable recipe that is a great option for a special meal. A dish with all the flavor of the sea such as beans with clams , much easier to prepare and even if it does not seem much cheaper.

This great dish is from friend Carlos Díez, a lover of good cuisine. Both to enjoy at home or in front of the best dish in a tavern, tavern or restaurant. Trying this recipe in your kitchen, from which they come out from time to time, wonders. I told him that I had to share this dish, and although a little late here you have it. A generous guy, next time, I’ll go with more wine, than the beans deserve.

“ Even with the aftertaste of your verdinas with prawns  and taking advantage of my sister’s Christmas generosity in the form of two beautiful spider crabs brought from O Grove. I have dared the day of kings with a plate with which two years ago they surprised me in a well-known Asturian restaurant in Madrid, fabes with spider crab . Despite being the first time that I escaped the traditional stew , the critics of the diners encourage me to repeat this recipe in the future . ”

Before cooking. Fabes and spider crab

1. One of the key points is the choice of fabes or fabas (in Galicia). I use the most typical one on the bean: the “de la Granja” beans that are found in any supermarket. They are a soft and buttery variety appropriate for this recipe.
2. We spread the beans on a flat surface and discard those that are damaged. We wash them to remove impurities.
3. We leave them in a bowl with cold water to soak overnight. Normally 12 hours. It is not necessary to add salt at the time of soaking. The next day we drain them and set aside until it is time to prepare them.
4. We must also cook the spider crab in a pot for 12 minutes with plenty of water, a handful of salt (60 gr. Of coarse salt per liter of water) and a dry bay leaf. Do not throw away the water to cook the seafood, we will use it later. We reserve.
5. We wait for it to cool, open it, separate the meat and reserve it to add it to the beans near the end of cooking. In my case I used the only spider crab that got rid of the king’s dinner and had already cooked the previous day.

Preparation of fabes with spider crab

1. This recipe is simple, although it is important to choose the ingredients well, they must be of high quality. For this we add in a casserole, if possible low and wide (if it is made of clay better, say the experts)
2. The beans with a good broth of fish or seafood (the water of cooking the spider crabs does not even paint). We cover with that broth until there are a couple of fingers above them. I know that many of you use the water from the soaking of the beans. I discard it since it is indigestible, but about tastes there is nothing written
3. We stir again so that everything comes together well. Add a generous stream of extra virgin olive oil and heat over high heat until it starts to boil.
4. When it starts to boil we introduce 1/2 of an onion, the leek, a bay leaf, green pepper, the chopped pumpkin (optional) and a slice of bacon. If we see that it foams, we remove it with a slotted spoon.
5. Cook them covered almost completely, over low heat for an hour and a half or even two, until the beans are soft. Stirring occasionally with great care, even better by shaking the pot.
6. When it takes 1/2 hour to cook over high heat we add the saffron threads diluted in a little hot broth from the casserole.
7. We lower the cooking temperature and add salt to taste. It is important to try the broth, we should not add much salt because the seafood water already has salt (if you use fish broth or a good fumet the same can happen). We cannot go beyond the optimum point of salt, better to leave them a little bland and rectify at the end.
8. The water must always cover the beans, so if it reduces add more. Do not forget to “scare” the beans two or three times with cold water or fumet to prevent their skin from falling off.

Preparation of the sofrito and final presentation of the fabes with spider crab

1. We test the beans to see if they are already tender, once tasted and tender we remove them from the heat and let them rest a bit. Meanwhile we prepare the sofrito.
2. We prepare in a frying pan a sauce with minced garlic, chopped almonds, paprika and saffron and half a glass of white wine. That we are going to pour halfway through cooking or near the end. Be careful not to burn the paprika or saffron.
3. When there are approximately 15 minutes left to finish, remove the piece of bacon. Add the spider crab meat and chopped fresh parsley. At this time we rectify salt, never before so that the skin does not harden.
4. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving so that it thickens. If the broth is too loose you can crush a few beans with a little broth. We add it to the pot, bring it to a boil and solve it. Gastronomic tribute where there is.

Be sure to enjoy all the recipes for fish and seafood that we have on the blog.