Zingy Blue Swimmer Crab Linguine with Tomato, Basil & Chilli

Some weeks ago we spontaneously decided to eat out and made a last minute booking at Coast, overlooking Darling Harbour. Coast has a nice air about it and is set in a great location (albeit in a busy, touristy part of town). The menu is Italian-inspired, the restaurant has a reasonable wine list with many Italian wines on offer. The wait staff are pleasant and helpful and, importantly for us on this particular occasion, Coast features in the Entertainment Book!

Truth be told, I have found the menu at Coast to be a bit hit and miss. I've eaten here twice now, and have had a few standout dishes and a few disappointing ones. The standouts and the Entertainment Book discount (of one complimentary main meal) mean that I will probably dine here again, but only when I get the new edition of the Book next year!

I had a great black pepper risotto the first time we dined at Coast and it really packed a punch, there were bags of flavour - I've been wanting to replicate it ever since. This time, my standout dish was a starter of Spanner Crab Spaghetti which just about knocked my socks off. The crab was plump, sweet and succulent, there was a hint of chilli heat in amongst juicy tomatoes and a waft of the heady basil. The whole thing was tied together with the most delicious, zingy lemon sauce that had my tastebuds singing for joy. It was simple food done very well, and I knew that I had to attempt it in the W&W kitchen.

The end result is a good one - I used blue swimmer crab as, whilst it doesn't come away in the same firm lumps as spanner crab, the meat has a delicate sweetness that can't be beaten. I think I achieved the right balance of tangy lemon, aromatic basil and the warmth from the chilli - the mix is certainly a winner for my palate. The great thing about this dish, however, is that you can adjust it as you please - a little more spice, a little more zing, a little sweetness - this is all fairly simple to manage.

Zingy Blue Swimmer Crab Linguine
with Tomato, Basil and Chilli
Serves 4 as a starter
(or 2-3 extremely hungry gluttons as a main meal)*

What you need:

• 200-225g crab meat*
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 375g cherry tomatoes, mostly halved but a few left whole
• extra virgin olive oil
• ½-1 tsp (or to taste) dried chilli flakes*
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tbs finely shredded basil leaves (plus extra to garnish)
• juice and zest of 1 small lemon
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• approx 300g linguine*

What to do:

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes, ensuring the garlic does not burn, before tipping in the cherry tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes to saute for about 5 minutes before adding the sugar, chilli, 1tbs of basil and season with salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to bubble away for another 5 minutes whilst you are waiting for the pasta to cook.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 tbs of the cooking water.

Stir the crabmeat through the sauce being careful not to break up any lumps of crabmeat. Add the cooked pasta, lemon juice and zest and stir to combine. If the pasta is a little dry, add a splash of the reserved cooking water as required.

Serve in bowls topped with a little extra shredded basil, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good grinding of black pepper.

* * *

NOTES:

Crab Meat: As noted, I use blue swimmer crabs for this recipe. The flesh is delicate and sweet and balances nicely with the zingy lemon and the heat of the chilli. You might like to use different crab meat and by all means do so. I prefer to buy the whole, cooked crabs and pick the meat myself. Two reasonably sized blue swimmers cost me under $10 and give me plenty of meat for this dish (and it's much cheaper than buying the already picked crab meat from the market). I often see the little tubs of Crab meat from Phillips at the fish market - you might try that in this recipe as well. I haven't used it myself, but can't see why you couldn't drain the meat and use it in lieu of the fresh stuff.

Chilli: I prefer to use dried chilli (red pepper) flakes in this recipe as I find it brings a nice warmth without taking away from the delicate flavour of the crab. By all means use fresh chilli, either a long red chilli, thinly sliced (seeds removed if you want a milder flavour) or the hotter birds eye chilli which I suggest finely dicing.

Pasta: I usually make my own fresh pasta for this delicate sauce, but store bought dried linguine is fine as well.

Yield: The two of us tuck into this dish as a big, satisfying main meal. There are some scant leftovers, but we pick out all the good stuff (well, the crab). You would serve 4 people as a substantial but fancy starter.