Picture the BBQ'ed crab, glazed in a golden-brown aromatic sauce, served on a rustic platter with sprinkled green spring onions and red chili slivers. The slight charring at the edges adds a captivating contrast. Adjacent to the crab lies a vibrant side of pickled daikon radish and carrot, rendered colorful by magenta beet juice. From above, the dish appears as a palette of saffron, robust green, and passionate red against a comforting beige platter.

Frostbite Fiesta: Charcoal-Grilled Crab in Vietnamese Inspired Marinade

Name: Frostbite Fiesta: Charcoal-Grilled Crab in Vietnamese Inspired Marinade
Prep time: 130 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: large crab, 2 cleaned and quartered; garlic, 6 cloves finely chopped; Bird's Eye Chili, 2 finely chopped; Fresh Ginger, 1 inch grated; lemongrass, 1 stalk crushed; Light Soy Sauce, 1/4 cup; Fish Sauce, 2 tablespoons; sugar, 1 tablespoon; lime, half juiced; cilantro, a handful chopped; Spring Onion, 2 strands chopped; Daikon Radish, 1/2 julienned; carrot, 1 julienned; beet juice, 1/3 cup; vinegar, 1/2 cup; Sunflower Oil, enough for grilling; Salt and Pepper, to taste

Category BBQ

Prep 130 minutes

Cook 20 minutes

Style Vietnamese

Technique Grilling

Diet Friendly Pescatarian

Daily Recipe: December 25, 2024

This unique BBQ dish embraces the refreshing cilantro notes of Vietnamese cuisine and integrates sweet, succulent crab, drawing inspiration from cooler seasons. Delightfully balanced with aromatic spices, this creation is a heartwarming twist in the season where BBQ is not usually the star.

Ingredients (for 2)

Large crab - 2 - cleaned and quartered
Garlic - 6 cloves - finely chopped
Bird's eye chili - 2 - finely chopped
Fresh ginger - 1 inch - grated
Lemongrass - 1 stalk - crushed
Light soy sauce - 1/4 cup
Fish sauce - 2 tablespoons
Sugar - 1 tablespoon
Lime - half - juiced
Cilantro - a handful - chopped
Spring onion - 2 strands - chopped
Daikon radish - 1/2 - julienned
Carrot - 1 - julienned
Beet juice - 1/3 cup
Vinegar - 1/2 cup
Sunflower oil - enough for grilling
Salt and pepper - to taste

Preparation

Step 1 - 🌶️🍋🥣

Combine garlic, chili, ginger, lemongrass, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice in a bowl to create the marinade.
Step 2 - 🦀⏲️🥣

Immerse the cleaned crab in the marinade and let it absorb the flavors for at least 2 hours.
Step 3 - 🔥🖌️🌻

Heat up the grill and brush it with sunflower oil to prevent the crab from sticking.
Step 4 - 🦀🔥🍽️

Grill the marinated crab pieces until they are golden brown, remember to occasionally baste it with any leftover marinade.
Step 5 - 🌿🔪🦀

Enhance the flavors of the grilled crab by sprinkling chopped cilantro and spring onions over it.
Step 6 - 🥕🍅⏲️

Create a pickled side dish by combining beet juice, vinegar, julienned daikon radish and carrot. Let this mixture sit for an hour.
Step 7 - 🦀🍽️🥕

Serve the grilled crab with the pickled side dish.

Additional

This recipe can easily be modified for a vegan version, replacing the crab with tofu or seitan. Kids can help with pickling and sprinkle the finished dish with cilantro and spring onions.