Rock crab gratin

Ingredients

• 4 common rock crabs
• 1 onion
• 150 g (⅓ lb) mushrooms
• 50 g (1 ¾ oz.) butter
• 40 ml (1.3 oz.) cognac or brandy
• 1 tomato, blanched, peeled and cubed
• 5 ml (1 tsp) curry powder
• 25 g (1 oz.) crumbled bread (without the crust)
• 150 g (⅓ lb) cheese of choice, grated
• Sea water or tap water with coarse sea salt
• Salt to taste

Preparation

• Wash and brush the crabs, cook them in sea water (or heavily salted water with sea salt) for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on their size.
• Shell the crabs and save the livers. Set aside the crab meat and clean the carapaces.
• Sauté the chopped onion and mushrooms in butter, deglaze with cognac. Add diced tomatoes and curry powder. Salt and mix in the crab liver.
• Incorporate the crab meat into the mixture.
• Fill the carapaces with the mix.
• Top with bread and grated cheese.
• Bake in oven.