Spaghettini with Hawkesbury mud crab, garlic, chilli, lemon and parsley

Gourmet~Traveller

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Serves: 8

Type: Pasta

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Spaghettini with Hawkesbury mud crab, garlic, chilli, lemon and parsley

By Dietmar Sawyere

Ingredients

140 ml extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large red chilli, finely chopped
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 live Hawkesbury mud crab (1.5kg; see note), placed in freezer for 30 minutes
400 gm dried spaghettini
2 tbsp panko crumbs (see note)
10 gm butter
1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
To serve: coriander cress

Preparation method

Serves 8

Prep time 45 mins, cook 30 mins (plus chilling, infusing)

Heat 40ml extra-virgin olive oil in a frying pan over low heat, add garlic and chilli and sauté until tender (5-6 minutes). Season to taste, add lemon rind and 90ml olive oil, set aside to infuse (1-2 hours).

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add crab, cover, bring to the boil, then cook uncovered until crab is just cooked and bright orange (12-13 minutes). Refresh in iced water, then pick meat from crab and set aside. You'll need 400gm.

Cook spaghettini in boiling salted water until al dente (7-8 minutes).

Meanwhile, toast panko crumbs in remaining olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until golden (3-4 minutes). Drain on absorbent paper.

Gently heat infused oil over low heat. Drain pasta (reserve 50ml water) and return to pan with reserved cooking water, butter and infused oil, stir well and season to taste. Add crab meat, parsley and lemon juice, cover and stand until crab is warmed through (1-2 minutes). Toss to combine and serve hot, scattered with panko crumbs and coriander cress.

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