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Puerto Rico · Land Crab

Puerto Rican Land Crab Salmorejo

Salmorejo de Jueyes

In Loíza and along the north coast, land crab meat is simmered in a garlicky sofrito with tomato sauce and annatto oil. It is the classic filling for mofongo and a Lenten favorite.

  • Prep 40 min
  • Cook 35 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Medium
Photo: Change C.C · Pexels
Served with: Puerto Rican Mofongo ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the crabs

For the salmorejo

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Boil the crabs. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the salt and bay leaves. Drop in the crabs, cover, and boil 10–12 minutes until bright orange. Drain and cool.
  2. Pick the meat. Twist off the claws and legs and crack them with a mallet. Pull off the top shell, scrape out the fat (keep it) and pick the meat from the body. You want about 2 cups (300 g).
  3. Make the sofrito. Warm the annatto oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Cook the onion, green pepper and ajíes 6–7 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and culantro for 1 minute.
  4. Add the sauce. Stir in the tomato sauce, olives, oregano and cumin. Simmer 8 minutes until it thickens a little.
  5. Fold in the crab. Add the crab meat and any reserved crab fat. Cook gently 5 minutes, just to heat through. Season with salt, pepper and a splash of pique.
  6. Serve. Spoon it over mofongo or white rice, or pack it into a hollowed mofongo for “mofongo relleno de jueyes.”

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican Mofongo

Mofongo

Fried green plantains pounded in a pilón with garlic and crispy chicharrón, shaped into a dome. Along the coast it comes with fish or shrimp in a garlicky sauce poured over.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 20 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Medium

You need

  • 4 green plantains
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup chicharrón (pork cracklings) or crisp bacon, crumbled
  • ½ cup warm chicken or fish broth

How to make it

  1. Fry the plantains. Peel the plantains and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Fry at 350 °F (175 °C) for 6–8 minutes until golden outside and cooked through but not crisp. Drain.
  2. Garlic paste. In a pilón (mortar), mash the garlic with the salt and olive oil into a paste.
  3. Pound. Working in batches while the plantains are hot, add a few pieces and some chicharrón to the garlic and pound until mashed but still a bit chunky. Add a spoonful of broth if it is dry.
  4. Shape. Press each portion into a small bowl to make a dome and turn it out onto a plate. Serve hot with the fish and its sauce.

Photo: Sen166 · CC BY-SA 4.0

More ways to cook Land Crab

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Piñones, Puerto RicoPiñones Land Crab Turnovers
Trinidad, Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad Crab and Callaloo
Andros, BahamasAndros Crab ’n’ Rice