🇰🇮 I-Kiribati Cuisine

Te Kabara

Coconut Crab

Prep Time 45 min
Servings 2
Difficulty Medium
Calories 382 kcal

Giant coconut crab steamed or boiled and cracked open to reveal rich, buttery meat. A prized delicacy reserved for honored guests and important celebrations.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Bring a very large pot of well-salted water to a vigorous rolling boil.
  2. 2 Place the coconut crab into the boiling water head first. Cover and boil for fifteen minutes per kilogram of weight.
  3. 3 Remove crab from water with tongs and let cool enough to handle safely for about ten minutes.
  4. 4 Crack the large claws and legs with a mallet or heavy knife handle to expose the dense white meat inside.
  5. 5 Scoop out the rich abdominal fat, which is considered the greatest delicacy and has an intensely coconut-like flavor.
  6. 6 Serve with lime halves and coconut cream for dipping alongside boiled breadfruit.

Did You Know?

Coconut crabs are the largest land arthropods on Earth, with leg spans reaching up to one meter and claws strong enough to crack open coconuts.