Soft shell crab souvlaki

Souvlaki — that popular Greek street food — is so versatile. It works with grilled meat, vegetables or seafood, wrapped inside pitta bread with garnishes and sauces, so you can eat it on the go. This soft shell crab version is inspired from the one I've tried at George Calombaris’s restaurant in Melbourne.

INGREDIENTS

4 soft shell crabs

500g frozen french fries

oil, deep-frying

sea salt flakes

4 souvlaki breads

CABBAGE SLAW

230g caster sugar

500ml white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

300g white cabbage, finely shredded

SRIRACHA MAYO

150g mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sriracha chilli sauce

BATTER

225g plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon salt

METHOD

Firstly, make the slaw. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a large bowl and add the salt. Add the cabbage to the pickling liquid, then top it up with water until all the cabbage is fully submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. When it’s ready to use, drain and squeeze out all the liquid.

To make the Sriracha mayo, mix together the mayonnaise and Sriracha in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until it’s ready to be used.

To make the batter, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a bowl, then gradually whisk in 500 ml water and keep whisking until smooth. The batter should have a thick pancake-mix consistency. Set aside and let it rest for 15 minutes.

To clean the crabs, pull the little flap on the underside off and remove all the guts inside. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, trim the head off to remove eyes and mouth, which can taste bitter. Prise one side of the soft shell cover without removing it, then pull off the feathery gills underneath. Repeat this step on the other side. Rinse and pat dry, then cut the crabs in half.

Use a deep-fryer if you have one. If not, fill a large, deep saucepan with the oil to about a third full. Bring the oil temperature up to 180°C over a medium–high heat.

In batches, fry the French fries until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes while still hot.

Give the batter another quick whisk. In batches of 2–3 pieces of crab, dip them in the batter then lower into the hot oil, deep-fry until crispy and golden brown, about 4–5 minutes. Drain on paper towel.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over low heat and warm up the bread, about 1 minute on each side.

To serve, place a handful of fries on each bread, top with two halves of soft shell crab then the slaw, add a few dollops of Sriracha mayo, wrap it up and serve.

#billman #crab #souvlaki #greek