Crab Basque

From 'Mexico The Cookbook' by Margarita Carrillo Arronte

This recipe is from some of the Guest Chefs that appear in Mexico The Cookbook; Mikel Alonso and Bruno Oteiza. This pair opened their restaurant Biko together in 2007, which is highly acclaimed for it's inventive marriage of Spanish and Mexican flavours. 

Ingredients:

• For the Stewed Crab
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 150ml olive oil
  • 1 tomato, finely chopped
  • 20g diced green olives
  • 1 tsp capers, plus extra to garnish
  • ½ chilli, finely chopped
  • 20g piquillo pepper, finely chopped
  • 250g crabmeat
  • Salt
• For the Caper Puree
  • 2 tsp capers
  • 70g flaked almonds
  • ½ chilli finely chopped
  • 10g coriander
  • 4 tsp chilli vinegar
  • 2 tbsp fried onion
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• For the Tomato Skins
  • 2 small tomatoes
  • 50g piquillo peppers
  • ½ teaspoon agar agar

Recipe:

1. For the stewed crab, fry the onion and the carrots in the olive oil. Add the rest of the evenly sliced vegetables and sauté for 15 minutes.
2. Add the crab and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Blend all the ingredients for the caper puree.
4. Liquidize the tomatoes, piquillo peppers, and 100ml water. Strain and boil for 15 minutes, then dissolve the agar agar into this mixture and smooth out into a tray.
5. Cut to the desired size and then place on greaseproof paper and let dry.
6. Stripe the plate with the caper puree, garnish with the almonds, capers, olives, and the chilli.
7. Place 50g of the crab on the plate and cover with the tomato skin.