Chilli, Lime and Chive Crab Linguine - Chef Recipe by Shawn Sheather

Ingredients

Mud Crab Poaching Liquid:

1 mud crab, I recommend live crabs
10 pepper corns
Peelings from your onion
1/4 bunch chives
1/2 bottle of economical white wine.
Only enough water to allow the crab to be fully submerged

Dish:

1 onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves sliced fine
4 long red chillies, not the hot ones
1 lime finely zested
1 lemon finely zested
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flake salt and fresh cracked pepper
50mL white wine

Herbs:

1/4 bunch chives
1/4 bunch picked parsley leaf


125g per person of fresh hand made linguine (or good quality store bought pasta).

Method

Cooking fresh crabs:

I recommend that you place the crabs in the freezer, or an ice bath to go into a dormant state, so you can cook them humanely.

Use the peel of the onion, add the chives, peppercorns and wine in a deep saucepan, add water and bring up to simmer.

Remove your crab from the freezer and add it carefully to the simmering water.

Cook for approximately 6-8 minutes once the water is back to the simmer.

Have a fresh ice bath to place the crab into, this will stop the delicate meat from over cooking.

Once cooled, break apart the crab, clean them out and rinse clean.

Now break apart the crab to gain the meat.

Hint: you may want to keep the claws for a decorative item on the plate.

Cut the onion as finely as you can, you don't want large chunks of onion overpowering the dish. Place in a bowl, peel the garlic and slice and keep it aside in a bowl, as well wash and slice the chilli, on an angle to allow longer strips, keep this in a separate bowl as well.

Wash and dry your herbs, cut the chives, pick the parsley.

Zest the lemon and lime and add it to the herbs, keep this mix again in a separate bowl.

Hint: you might want to select a couple of chives and parsley leaves for garnish and set them aside for plating.

Cooking the dish:

Have a pot of salted water on rapid boil.

Add your pasta, you now have about 5 minutes to cook your dish.

Using a large hot frying pan, add the olive oil, allow to come up to temp. Add the onion and cook till slightly starting to colour.

Turn your heat down and add the sliced garlic, cook for about another minute.

Now add the chilli.

You can now add some white wine to deglaze the caramel from the fry pan.

Your pasta should be almost cooked ready by now. Once the pasta is cooked, place in a colander to drain.

While the pasta is draining add the crab meat and toss through the moist onion chilli mix.

Add moisture by squeezing 1/2 a lemon and lime over the crab mix.

Add a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper.

Add about 1/2 of your herb and zest mix.

Now add the pasta, toss to combine the pasta and crab.

Add the rest of your herb and zest mix, and toss again.

Plating:

Remove the pasta from the fry pan using a large fork and spoon, create a nest on each plate.

Now transfer the remaining crab, and chilli mixture and place it on the nest of linguine.

Garnish with a crab claw, chives and parsley. Even a wedge of lemon of lime.

Equipment

Saucepan x 2
Fry pan
Tongs
Zester
5 bowls
1 Fridge container for your crab meat

Credits: AGFG Resident Chef Shawn Sheather

Photo Credits: AGFG Resident Chef Shawn Sheather