TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Granseola alla VenezianaVenetian-Style Crab
Adriatic crab, called granseola, is boiled, then its meat and roe are dressed with olive oil, lemon and parsley and served in the shell. A luxurious Venetian appetizer whose simplicity reveals the ingredient’s distinction.
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Ingredients (2 servings)
- Live crab (granseola)Use live crab; avoid frozen.2 crabs (about 500 g each)
- Extra virgin olive oil60 ml
- Lemon1 piece
- Flat-leaf parsleyFinely chopped.2 tbsp
- Sea salt1 pinch
Method
Bring salted water to a boil
- 1 Start bringing plenty of water to a boil in a large pot, using 30 g salt per 1 L water.
- 2 Finely chop the flat-leaf parsley.
Boil the crab
- 1 Dispatch the live crab, place in the salted water, cover and boil for 15–20 minutes according to weight: 500 g = 15 minutes.
- 2 Transfer to cold water once cooked.
Ready when
The cooking time for its weight has elapsed: 500 g = 15 minutes.
Remove the shell
- 1 Turn the crab onto its back and remove the shell.
- 2 Collect the liquid, roe and brown meat inside the shell in a bowl.
Extract the meat
- 1 Carefully remove the meat from legs and claws using scissors or your hands.
- 2 Remove the body meat as well.
Dress and serve
- 1 Mix the extracted meat and roe with 60 ml olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and salt.
- 2 Serve in the shell.
About this dish
Venice’s Rialto fish market, dating to 1097, is one of the world’s oldest markets. Among the seafood landed each morning from the lagoon are granseole, a type of spider crab.
Granseola alla veneziana is known for its restrained preparation. The steamed crab is removed from its shell and flaked, with ovaries and roe added; it is dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and parsley, then returned to the shell for serving. The shell itself becomes the dish.
Venetian cooks say, “Do not overcook crab. The crab has already made its flesh delicious; people need only take it.”
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