CURRY CRAB BAG

SERVES 4

There’s something so festive and fun about a big pile of crab. That could be the funniest sentence of all time because on paper, pile of crab sounds like neither of those things. But if you use your big beautiful imagination, I’m sure you’ll get what I’m saying! Think giant plastic bib on a burly grown man. I get a kick out of it every time.

In this preparation, the crab (and some okra) is flavored with curry powder and coconut milk, then baked in an oven bag until hot. The bags—which are typically marketed for cooking turkey—create a sealed, steamy environment, keeping the crab moist (and making kitchen cleanup a snap). Serve on a newspaper-covered table and encourage everyone to dig in with their hands—and since you’ve used an oven bag and no plates, all you have to do is roll up the newspaper and your table cleanup is complete.

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

1 small sweet onion, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons curry powder

½ cup full-fat coconut milk

1½ tablespoons Ayesha’s Jamaican Green Seasoning (recipe follows)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds crab legs; or 2 whole Dungeness crabs (about 1½ pounds each), legs pulled off and bodies shelled and halved

½ pound fresh okra

2 fresh thyme sprigs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile (optional)

Oven bag, for baking

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Stir in the coconut milk, green seasoning, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Put the crab in a large oven bag and add the okra, thyme, cilantro, and chile, if using. Carefully pour in the coconut mixture, then seal tightly and gently shake to distribute the ingredients.

Place the bag on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully cut open the bag (watch out for the steam!). Scoop the mixture onto a rimmed serving platter, discarding the thyme sprigs and chile. Serve hot.