A RECENT trip to Davao gave me a new way of looking at crabs. The Philippines has a crab industry, particularly mud crabs (alimango). However, it is not a primary fishery industry.
I learned from a local hatchery that there are two methods of mud crab farming. One is in ponds or mangroves or grow-out culture. The other is in fattening ponds. The family was taught how to catch the crabs out of the “growing” baskets and tying them up. It was fun but I was too busy thinking of the end result of our crab adventure: A cooking demo.
Whether it is lambay (blue crab) or alimango, crabs in general have a pleasant sweetish-salty taste that blends well with whatever it is cooked with. A small amount of crab meat can spell a difference between an ordinary egg-drop soup and a superb egg-drop soup with crab meat.
I learned that March 9 is National Crab Meat Day in the United States. Not going too far away, Lala, Lanao del Norte, has an alimango festival held on March 22, and Samar, every July 25.
People can help vitalize the crab industry by eating more of the shellfish, whether it is simply boiled in salted water or cooked with spices and tomato sauce. Yes, it is an expensive fruit of the sea probably because of the way it is farmed and length of time before it can be harvested, which is five to six months. What the house cook can do is to buy flaked crab meat at the local wet market or mall. A cup or two can make a dish taste special.
When I brought up the idea of helping the crab industry through cooking, my family shared their recipes. Measurements are not mentioned in most of the recipes. They are supposed to be just guides.
Crabby Lumpia. Cook one-fourth cup lean ground pork in little oil. Cook until no longer pink. Drain the liquid. Saute minced onion and garlic. Add the ground pork, grated carrot and sliced ubod (heart of palm). Cook to wilt, then add vermicelli (earlier soaked in water to soften, then cut into three). Season with salt and pepper. Add the crab meat jut to heat through. Use this to fill lumpia wrapper. Deep-fry till golden brown.
Eggy Crab. Start this dish by sauteing minced garlic and red onion. Add around one-fourth kilo lean ground pork. Allow to cook well before adding finely shredded cabbage and julienned carrot. Season according to taste. If you like the dish to have some color, add soy sauce or oyster sauce. When vegetables are nearly done, add the crab meat. Cook to heat through, then add beaten eggs. Allow the egg to set before removing pan from fire.
Nuggets of Crabdom. Mix breadcrumbs, minced green onions, grated garlic, a handful of grated carrot (squeeze out juice), oyster sauce, egg, a dollop of mayonnaise (optional), salt and pepper to taste. Chill before forming into nuggets. Deep-fry. Serve with bottled sweet chili sauce.