Skip to content

Fish, Northern, Eastern and Western France

Dressed crab with mayonnaise and warm potatoes

Dressed crab with mayonnaise and warm potatoes is a seafood dish for 4 people, ready in 50 minutes, at a medium difficulty level, for about €6.50 per person. The key to success is a hand whisked mayonnaise made with room temperature ingredients and potatoes cooked in their skins to keep their shape.

Tonight, we gather around the table to crack open a crab, with homemade mayonnaise and warm potatoes.

Dressed crab with mayonnaise and warm potatoes
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€6.50
Calories per person
740 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall

Crab with mayonnaise is a dish you eat with your hands, cracking shells and taking your time. The crab meat is delicate and slightly sweet, pairing perfectly with a homemade mayonnaise whisked with egg yolk and brightened with a squeeze of lemon. Warm potatoes, cooked in their skins, add the comforting touch that balances the seafood.

This is a dish for a weekend meal, when you have time to sit down together and pick through the shells. It works well for a lunch between adults or a summer dinner with friends, less suited to kids who aren't used to cracking shellfish yet. Mon Chou walks you through nailing the mayonnaise on the first try and enjoying the crab without stress.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cooked crabs 2

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 1 kg
  • Lemon 1
  • Chives 0.5 bunch
  • Green salad 1

Dairy

  • Egg yolks 2

Pantry

  • Mustardoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Sunflower oiloften in the pantry 25 cl
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Shellfish, Eggs, Mustard

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the potatoes in their skins in salted water. 25 min

    Keep the skins on, they hold more flavor and won't fall apart.

  2. Make the mayonnaise by whisking the egg yolks with the mustard, salt, and pepper.

    All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

  3. Pour in the oil in a thin stream while whisking constantly, then brighten with a little lemon.

    If the mayonnaise splits, start over with a fresh egg yolk and whisk it in little by little.

  4. Crack the crab's legs and claws, open the body, and remove the inedible parts.

    Remove the gray gills, they are the lungs, they are not edible.

  5. Serve the picked crab with the mayonnaise, chives, salad, and peeled potatoes while they're still warm.

    Seafood crackers or a small hammer will help you crack the claws.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a cooked crab that feels heavy for its size, that's a sign it's well filled with meat.
  • Whisk the mayonnaise in a bowl set on a slightly damp cloth, it keeps the bowl from sliding while you whisk.
  • Open the crab over a large plate to catch all the juices and meat without losing anything on the table.

The variations

  • Swap the crab for peeled shrimp for a quicker dish to prepare, with no shell cracking at the table.
  • For a shellfish free version, serve the same mayonnaise and potatoes with hard boiled eggs and crunchy vegetables.
  • Add a pinch of Espelette pepper to the mayonnaise to give it a little kick without changing its character.

What to serve it with

  • Fresh crusty bread
  • Chilled dry white wine
  • Green salad with vinaigrette

Storage

Homemade mayonnaise keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a covered bowl, best made the same day you serve it. Picked crab meat keeps for 1 day in the fridge in a sealed container and should not be frozen once cooked and picked.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the mayonnaise ahead of time?

Yes, you can make it a few hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Take it out fifteen minutes before serving so it regains its full flavor.

How do you know if a crab is well filled with meat?

Pick up the cooked crab and feel its weight, the heavier it is for its size, the more meat it holds. A light crab is likely hollow or sparsely filled.

What should you do if the mayonnaise splits?

Start over with a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl and whisk in the split mayonnaise little by little. It usually comes back together quickly.

Can you use frozen, already picked crab meat?

Yes, it's a good option when you're short on time, thaw it slowly in the fridge the day before. The flavor will be a bit less delicate than with a whole cooked crab.

How long does it take to make a dressed crab with mayonnaise and warm potatoes?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a dressed crab with mayonnaise and warm potatoes?

About 740 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a dressed crab with mayonnaise and warm potatoes cost?

About €6.50 per serving, or €26.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains shellfish, eggs, mustard. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Cuisine from Northern, Eastern and Western France

See all

Egg recipes

See all