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Ago glain
Crab in tomato pepper sauce
Ago glain: Cotonou's whole crabs simmered in a thick, gingery tomato and pepper sauce
Cotonou sits between the sea and the Nokoué lagoon, and its crabs, ago in Fon, are cooked whole in a thick tomato, onion and pepper sauce for weekend lunches and family gatherings. Ago glain is gloriously messy: you crack the shells with your fingers and teeth, suck out the sweet meat and mop up the sauce with amiwo, akassa or white rice. The sauce is bright, gingery and hot, and the shells give it a deep seafood flavour. Live crabs need careful handling, so buy them from a fishmonger you trust, cook them the same day and keep them chilled until then; ready-cleaned or ready-cooked crab is fine too. The usual mistake is overcooking the crab once it is in the sauce, which makes the meat dry and stringy. Chef's tip: crack the claws before they go into the pot so the sauce seeps in and they cook evenly.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ lb live crabsblue or mud crabs; or 1 kg cleaned ready-cooked crab pieces
- 2 onionsone roughly chopped, one sliced
- 1 oz fresh ginger
- 4 tbsp vegetable or red palm oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Buy the 3 ⅓ lb live crabs live and lively from a reputable seller on the day you cook. Discard any that are dead, smell of ammonia or have cracked shells. Keep them in the fridge, covered with a damp cloth, until you start.
Step 2: Put the crabs in the freezer for 20–30 minutes until they stop moving, then scrub them under cold running water.
25 minStep 3: Twist off the apron flap underneath and lift off the top shell. Pull out the feathery grey gills and the small stomach sac behind the mouth, rinse, then cut each body in half and crack the claws with the back of a heavy knife.
15 minStep 4: Blend the 6 ripe tomatoes, the chopped 1 onions, 4 garlic cloves, 1 oz fresh ginger and 2 Scotch bonnet chillies to a smooth purée.
3 minStep 5: Heat the 4 tbsp vegetable or red palm oil in a wide pot over a medium heat and cook the sliced 1 onions for 4 minutes. Add the 2 tbsp tomato paste for 2 minutes, then the purée, and cook for 12 minutes, stirring, until thick and the oil rises.
18 minStep 6: Add the crab pieces, 1 cup water and 1 ½ tsp salt and turn to coat. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes, turning twice, until the shells are bright orange-red all over and the meat is opaque white and firm right through, with no grey translucent patches in the thick claws. If you are using ready-cooked crab, simmer just 6–8 minutes until piping hot.
18 minStep 7: Rest for 2 minutes, scatter with 1 handful flat-leaf parsley and serve with amiwo, akassa or rice, and finger bowls on the table.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 255 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ago glain take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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