Gnocchetti Sardi with Fraser Island Spanner Crab - Chef Recipe by Gary Jones.

Ingredients

65g shallots, finely chopped
25g garlic, crushed
2 whole red chillies, finely sliced
25g lemongrass, shredded
35g ginger, crushed
2 whole lime leaves
2 Tbs prawn XO sauce
100g sobrasada, roughly chopped
1 kg ripe tomatoes, blanched, deseeded and chopped
200g raw crab meat
6 basil leaves, fine chiffonade
A few marjoram leaves
200g gnocchetti rustichella
50g black olives, dried and finely chopped

Method

Sweat off chopped shallots, garlic, ginger, chilli and lemongrass in extra virgin olive oil until fragrant.

Add sobrasada and XO sauce and cook until it releases fat and flavour.

Add diced tomatoes and lime leaves. Taste and smell the aroma, if you are happy continue, or stop and balance the recipe.

Cook slowly for 30 minutes, then finish with herbs.

Season with a few grains of salt flakes or a pinch of sugar.

Boil 2 litres of water with 2 tablespoons of salt. Add pasta and cook for 9 minutes.

To finish:

Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a sauté pan. Add crab meat and cook for 30 seconds.

Add sauce and cooked pasta. Toss through to combine and infuse flavours.

Check balance of dish one last time, taste and season, maybe add a tad more basil or chilli.

Keep at 70 C until ready to serve.

Plating:

Place in a warm bowl and finish with coriander and dried black olives.

Recipe provided by Jonez on Ephraim