How to cook Centolla

Centolla Crab, queen of the seas of the end of the world, and a gourmet favourite

The experience of eating the prickly monster that is the Centolla, or Chilean King Crab, involves much more than enjoying its tender flesh. Its arrival at the table is a show in itself: the intense orange colour, the knobbly, spiky carapace and threatening claws and legs might well put off more squeamish diners but once you’ve get past the tough exterior and try the extraordinarily tender flesh you’ll be hooked for life. So how best to cook it at home? It seems daunting but in fact it’s surprisingly simple. Before getting to the master recipe, let’s learn a little more about the sea creature.