The town of Cromer is in North Norfolk and is a firm favourite for families for a traditional seaside holiday and it is described as the “gem” of the Norfolk coastline. It is approximately 23 miles from the city of Norwich and 116 miles from London.
What is so special about Cromer I hear you ask… well. Is it the stick of rock? The fish and chips? The Sandy beach? the Victorian pier? No it’s the Crabs. Yes the world famous Cromer Crabs!!
The Cromer Crab is a “brown crab” and are easily identifiable from a characteristic “pie crust” edge on the top of its shell, and the claws and legs which have black marks on them.
Majority of the Cromer Crabs stay at the seabed in relatively shallow waters. The bed is flinty and chalky at the bottom, so they filter in very clean crystal waters. A lot of other crabs are caught on a muddy bottom of the seabed. Therefore the purer clearer waters gives the Cromer Crab better conditions so that gives the Cromer crabs their unique taste.
Whats the flavour?
The crab meat is much sweeter and is beautifully plump. Cromer crabs also have a high proportion of white meat to dark. It’s thought that because Cromer crabs are slow growing, they have more time to fill their shells with meat.
The early Crabs are much sweeter than if you eat them later on in the year, where the taste becomes stronger. But still absolutely beautiful whenever you decide to eat them. A simple crab sandwich or mixed through a salad, served with a good mayonnaise, lemon and new potatoes is absolutely wonderful and the perfect lunch on the coast. Whatever is your favourite way to eat this stunning crab, just relax, sit down and enjoy it.
Below is a beautiful dish using all of the Cromer Crab in different ways.
Devon or Norfolk?
The battle of the best crab has been a great debate over the years. I have used both in the kitchen during my culinary career and have eaten both, hands down for me it has to be the Cromer crab for sure. So Norfolk wins!!
Now is your chance to try this amazing quick and tasty Crab cake recipe. It’s very easy to make and is perfect for a dinner party or just as a tasty lunch. So why don’t you go crabbing in Cromer and start cooking!! Followed of course with a stick of rock for dessert…
Crab cake recipe..
Ingredients
• 2 spring onions
• ½ a bunch of flat-leaf parsley
• 1 large free-range egg
• 800 g Cromer Crab meat
• 280 g mashed potatoes
• Pinch ground white pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
Method
• Trim & finely chop the spring onions, pick and chop the parsley. Beat the egg.
• Combine the crabmeat, potatoes, mustard, lemon zest, spring onion, parsley, white pepper, cayenne and egg in a bowl season with salt
• Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up, then shape into 5 cm cakes.
• Dust with flour and shallow-fry in vegetable oil over a medium heat for about 6 minutes each side or until golden-brown.
• serve simply with a lemon wedge and salad
Crab pairings..
• Mango
• Chilli
• Chicken
• Asparagus
• Coconut
• Pineapple
• Apple
• Cucumber
• Strawberries
• Avocado
• Grapefruit
• Passion Fruit
• Seaweed
• Ginger
3 fun facts about Crabs.. 🦀
• Crabs have 10 legs, however, the first pair are its claws which are called chelae
• The female carries the eggs external to the shell throughout the winter months and spawns into the plankton in the warmer months
• A “cast” is the name of a group of crabs.
Made By M.E 