Chilpachole de Jaiba

Ingredients

• 8 whole blue crabs, cleaned, or 4 whole crabs plus 250 g picked crab meat
• 3 dried chipotle meco chillies, or 3 chipotles en adobo
• 3 dried guajillo chillies
• 700 g ripe tomatoes
• 1 white onion, halved
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1.5 litres fish or shellfish stock
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp masa harina
• 2 large sprigs epazote
• 1.5 tsp fine salt
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 12 corn tortillas, to serve

Before you cook

• Rinse the crabs well and lift off the top shells if they are still attached, keeping any roe.
• Stem and seed the dried chillies.
• Whisk the masa harina into 150 ml cold water until completely smooth.

Steps

1. Toast the chipotle and guajillo chillies on a dry comal over medium heat for 30 seconds a side, until they puff and smell smoky.
2. Cover the chillies with boiling water and soak them for 20 minutes.
3. Char the tomatoes, the onion halves and the garlic on the comal for 10 minutes, turning, until blackened in patches and soft.
4. Drain the chillies and blend them with the charred vegetables and 250 ml of the stock until smooth.
5. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
6. Pour the sauce in through a fine sieve, pressing the pulp through with a ladle.
7. Fry the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring, until it darkens to brick red and the oil separates at the edges.
8. Pour in the remaining stock, drop in the bay leaf and bring it to a simmer.
9. Simmer the broth uncovered for 15 minutes so the flavours settle.
10. Pour in the masa slurry in a thin stream, whisking, and simmer for 6 minutes until the broth just thickens.
11. Season with the salt.
12. Lower the crabs into the pot and simmer them for 8 minutes, until the shells turn bright orange and the meat is opaque.
13. Push the epazote sprigs under the surface and cook for 2 minutes more.
14. Ladle the crabs and broth into wide bowls.
15. Serve with lime wedges, hot tortillas and an empty bowl for the shells.