Crab Matété... An Easter Monday Tradition

There is no Easter Monday without a Matété (or Matoutou) on a French Caribbean Table. This is the ultimate Easter Monday Caribbean Recipe for a succulent family meal that will leave you all licking your fingers with delight.

Not the simplest Caribbean recipe but if you master this, your party will be a HIT! 

This traditional Caribbean recipe is for 6 people and you will need :

• 6 to 8 land crabs (preferably)
• 200 g of streaky bacon 
• 2 big tomatoes
• 6 big garlic cloves
• 2 big onions
• 1 full bouquet of thyme, parsley and spring onions 
• 3 Creole Laurel leaves
• 3 limes
• 2 scotch bonnet chilli 
• 500g flour
• 1 1/2 glass of water
• cooking oil
• salt and pepper 

 
Préparation: 30 min
Cooking time : 60 mins


1 Carefully clean the crabs under the tap with a brush. Cut them in half by splitting between the eyes without removing the legs. Remove the shell, keep the fat found in the shell (of yellow texture) and make it simmer in some lime juice.
 Also simmer the crabs bodies with their claws and slightly hammered legs in lime juice, salt, pepper and 2 garlic cloves. It will ease the cooking process.

2 Pour oil in a pot, then add the chopped spring onions and 3 crushed garlic cloves. Add the crabs' fat and streaky bacon cut in cubes. 

3 Add the crabs and cook for around 15 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add the peeled and crushed tomatoes and leave to cook for another 10 minutes.
  
4 In the meantime, prepare your Dombré dough (a dombré is a little dumpling added to a sauce to be boiled). Pour the flour in a glass bowl, your water and pinch of salt and create small coin sized ball rolled using your hands.

5 Add enough water to your crab stew to ensure the Dombrés will boil. As soon as your stew comes to boiling point, add the thyme and parsley, then the Dombrés, stir everything to ensure even cooking of all the additional ingredients.

6 Leave to cook on a low temperature for about 30 minutes. Add the 2 chillis halfway through without cutting or piercing then to flavour your dish without adding the burn. When your Crab Matété is fully cooked, remove the 2 chillis without piercing them and add the juice of a lime.

Voila!!
A guaranteed hit at your Easter table especially if served with the traditional Ti' Punch.

For more recipes and all your Caribbean ingredients, please visit Carib Gourmet