Ingredients
- 4 x 300g blue swimmer crabs
- 400g linguine
- 2 ripe tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, diced
- 4 limes, segmented
- ½ bunch thyme leaves
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- shaved pecorino and rocket salad, to serve
Linguine with Blue Swimmer crab and lime
Also known as sand crab, flower crab or blue manna crab (depending on where you live), the blue swimmer crab is sweet and delicious. Blue Swimmer crabs should be steamed (never boiled) for approximately 10 minutes.
Either eat them immediately with a delicious sauce, or chill in iced water before cracking the shell and gently removing the meat, taking great care to avoid all the small pieces of internal carapace. Toss the meat through some perfectly cooked pasta with citrus and olive oil, and you’ll understand that the real purpose of luxury is the reward at the end – that it’s always worth waiting for.
Method
Steam the crabs over a high heat for 10 minutes, then immerse in iced water until cold. Crack the shells gently an carefully remove all meat.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water according to manufacturer’s instructions until al dente, then drain well.
Toss with the crab, tomato, cucumber, lime pieces, thyme and olive oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve with shaved pecorino and rocket salad leaves.
Submitted byFast Ed
Tips and Tricks
Choose bright, firm flesh tomatoes – they should give a little when squeezed but not feel soft. Try to buy tomatoes that have been stored at room temperature (rather than refridgerated) as these will have a stronger flavour and will be slower to break down than those stored in the fridge.
Hard cheeses store excellently in the freezer. Grate fully and keep in a sealed plastic bag – cheese can be used in cooking straight from frozen.
To avoid wasting lime, cut thins slices into halves and lay out flat in a freezer bag in the freezer. Add the frozen slices to cocktails and drinks.
