Andrew Kay Dines Out: Getting Crabby

Since giving up running a car, a decision I seldom regret, I have been less inclined to travel too far to eat. That of course does not include my forays to the continent. Last week I made a foray to Worthing. I love Worthing and for many years one of my favourite restaurants was there, a smashing place called Trenchers with a very good chef. So I was delighted when Mr and Mrs M told me about The Crabshack and even more delighted when they suggested that they collect me one evening and drive me over there. Of course I said yes.

The restaurant is right on the seafront left of their Steine and from the outside looks both warm and inviting. The front terrace looks good too but sadly it was a chill evening so we went inside and when I saw that it was an open kitchen I was glad that we had as I love to watch the team at work.

Whilst Mr M parked the car, Mrs M and I had a drink, a glass of white for her and a Blackdown G&T for me, both very good.

The menu is short, pleasingly so and understandably features quite a few crab dishes. Excellent I thought, pushing aside that crab is one of the things that makes my gout flare up. To hell with that though as crab is also one of my favourite things to eat.

I will certainly be back for a paper cone of these beauties

From a short list of starters we decided to share the salt and pepper squid, the piri piri prawns and the popcorn cockles. The squid was first class, incredibly tender and perfectly spiced. It was generous too, more than enough for us all to have plenty. The prawns arrive in near volcanically hot spicy oil with a hunk of bread to mop it up. The prawns themselves were good, the texture taut rather than tough which is always better than mushy. Finally to the cockles, how I love cockles and these I have to say were delicious, fried in a crisp coating and more than plentiful, even I could not finish the portion, hard as I might try. I will certainly be back for another paper cone of these beauties.

When it came to main courses we were singularly unadventurous and all chose the dressed crab. Why, because we could! Any problem with that see me after class.

The crab came with brown bread, butter and a mountain of frites, yes, frites, nice thin crispy fried potatoes in the Belgian style with of course some extra mayonnaise to dip into. If I said that this was a generous portion I would be understating the case.

The crab itself is served in what I would describe as partly undressed. A fully dressed crab has all the meat removed and then place back in the shell. Here the dark meat and white meat from the main shell have been put back but the claws are served on the side, cracked and ready for you to plunder the set white meat inside. I liked this a lot. I love the dark meat eaten on thickly buttered bread to start and then the fun of picking at the claws to follow. It’s not a dish for people who don’t want to get their hands messy but the mess is well worth the prize.

Once again I was beaten by the scale of the bread and butter and the frites, we all were, but we all thoroughly enjoyed the whole meal. We declined the offer of a very indulgent sounding dessert but had coffees before heading back to Brighton – very happy indeed.

The Crabshack, 2 Marine Parade, Cnr. of Warwick Road, Worthing BN11 3PN, 01903 215070