Chicken Thighs with Crabs and Crab Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 tbsp plant oil
• 200 ml dry white wine
• 1 Carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 kg river crab
• 1 Garlic clove
• 2 Tomatoes
• 150 g crème double
• 2 tbsp chives

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) with both fan and conventional heat.

2. 2.

   Rinse the thighs and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper, then brown them all over in a hot oven‑proof pan with oil. Pour in the white wine, place the thighs skin side down into the oven, and bake for about 40 minutes, turning once halfway through.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, peel and dice the carrot and onion. In a large pot, bring about 3 liters of water to a boil with the bay leaf and peppercorns. After about 10 minutes, add the crabs one at a time and cook for 3–5 minutes depending on size. Shock in cold water and drain. Set aside eight whole crabs for garnish; remove the remaining claws and tails, clean them, and keep the stock and shells.

4. 4.

   Peel and halve the garlic. Wash the tomatoes and cut into large chunks. Combine with the garlic, crab shells, and about 1 liter of the stock; bring to a boil and simmer for roughly 20 minutes before straining through a sieve.

5. 5.

   Remove the cooked thighs from the oven and keep warm on a platter with the eight whole crabs. Skim off fat from the chicken drippings, strain them into the crab stock, then stir in the crème double and reduce slightly until creamy. Add the cleaned crab tails, do not boil further, and season with salt and pepper.

6. 6.

   Plate the thighs with the whole crabs and pour the crab sauce over them.

7. 7.

   Sprinkle with chives before serving.