Crab Omelet - Tortang Alimasag

Sauteed Crab Meat with Potatoes Cooked
in Crab Shell

Crab Omelet, Filipino style is called Tortang Alimango or Tortang Alimasag.

They're made from sauteed crab meat with potatoes and set in the crab shell before pan frying.

Not your traditional omelet, nor are they like the crab cakes, they're usually eaten with rice and dipped in ketchup.

They are also quite tedious to make, so you might say, "I'd rather eat the crab as it is than make them into tortang alimasag."

Here are some ideas on how you could "have your crab and eat them, too"...

  • You could eat all your crab except for the claw meat, and use that meat to make the torta.
  • You could eat all your crab, save the shell cover, and buy the packaged or canned meat to use for your crab omelet.

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:


IN THE PANTRY:

  • Eggs
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Cooking Oil

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 pcs. Crabs, cooked
  • 2 cups cubed Potatoes
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 medium Onion, chopped
  • 1 medium Tomato, chopped
  • 2 whole eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
  • Cooking Oil


1  Pick the meat out of the cooked crabs, make sure to check for shards of shells. Set aside.

2 Clean out the crab shell cover (talukap), wash thoroughly with plain water. Set aside.

3 Set the pan to fry the potatoes until slightly browned, then take them out of the pan and remove some of the oil.

4 With a tablespoon of oil left on the pan, saute the garlic, onion and tomatoes.

5 Cook until tomatoes are thoroughly broken down, or add a couple tablespoon of water and press the tomato pieces to break them down.

6 Add the crab meat, mix lightly so as not to break the meat too much.

7 Season with salt and pepper, take out of the pan and strain any excess liquid.

8 Stuff the crab shell cover with the cooked meat, pack tightly, and dip the whole thing in beaten egg.

9 Using a different pan with 1/2 cup cooking oil over medium heat, set the egg dipped torta, with the shell cover side touching the pan first.

10 Invert slowly to brown the crab meat side, the tortang alimasag should not fall apart if they are packed tightly in the shell.

11 Cook until the crab meat side is golden brown.

12 Serve with banana or tomato ketchup.


BENG'S TIPS

  • You could omit stuffing the shell and just form the sauteed crab meat into round patties. Just add one egg and about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs as binder to form the patties.
  • Don't have the patience to pick crab meat? Buy the canned or packaged crab meat. They may be a little pricey but will certainly save you time and effort.
  • You could add carrots with the potatoes as extender for this torta, but make sure you have more crab meat than extenders.

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