National

How to Cook the Holiday Favorite, Crab and Rice

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Chef Roshena Smith showcased the process behind preparing traditional Bahamian crab and rice, proving why it’s considered a true Father’s Day labor of love.

Published

3 weeks ago

June 20, 2026

Denielle Miller

NASSAU , BAHAMAS – We are only hours away from Father’s Day 2026, and we have one question to ask: Are you preparing crab and rice?

Our Denielle Miller visited the kitchen of the owner of the local restaurant All Your Favorites and discovers just how tedious the process of making this beloved dish can be.

Denielle Miller

“This is how your granny used to cook, with her hand in the ‘kimba.’ That’s how you know you’re dealing with a chef.”

Chef Roshena Smith – Owner, All Your Favorites Takeaway

“Chef jacket is on and so is my apron. I’m about to hit the kitchen at All Your Favorites with Chef Roshena Smith to attempt, for the second time in my life, this Father’s Day staple. Chef, what am I about to make? Dani, today I’m going to show you how we make our famous crab and rice. You ready? I think so.”

In preparation for the lesson, our crabs were fed by Chef Smith for two weeks to help eliminate toxins from their bodies. Then, just this morning, she scrubbed their shells and cracked them open.

Chef Roshena Smith – Owner, All Your Favorites Takeaway

“We have some clean crabs here already cleaned, so I’m going to show you now how to defat the crab for your crab and rice.”

After removing all the fat from the crabs, we proceeded to heat oil in the pot and add our ingredients.

We added onions, celery, and thyme. Once they became tender, it was time to introduce the crab fat.

To avoid burning the pot, it is essential to continuously stir the ingredients.

After the fat has been fried out, you can proceed to the next step.

Chef Roshena Smith – Owner, All Your Favorites Takeaway

“Now Dani is adding her crab body and fins to her pot.”

The mixture also contained tomato paste, blended tomatoes, blended goat pepper, water, salt, Chef Smith’s secret seasoning, and browning. Once everything reached a simmer, it was time to incorporate the rice.

Denielle Miller

“This is a lot of work. People who say, ‘Oh, don’t cook your man crab and rice for Father’s Day,’ this is a labor of love.”

Having added all of our ingredients to the pot, we stirred a few additional times and let it cook for 20 to 30 minutes.