Name: Blue swimmer crab with salsa pazza
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 blue swimmer crabs (about 300 gm each); To serve: crusty bread and wild rocket and parmesan salad; Salsa pazza; 700 gm mixed small tomatoes, such as Johnny Love Bites, yellow grape and mini Roma; 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup); 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped; 1 white onion, thinly sliced; ½ fennel, bulb thinly sliced, fronds reserved; 1 carrot, peeled and cut into long matchsticks; ½ tsp dried chilli flakes; ¼ tsp each fennel and yellow mustard seeds; Pinch saffron threads; 250 ml dry white wine (1 cup); 1 tsp marjoram leaves

Blue swimmer crab with salsa pazza

Australian Gourmet Traveller seafood recipe for blue swimmer crab with salsa pazza

Serves 4

Prep

45M

Cook

25M

Total

1H 10M

Ingredients

8 blue swimmer crabs (about 300 gm each)

To serve: crusty bread and wild rocket and parmesan salad

Salsa pazza

700 gm mixed small tomatoes, such as Johnny Love Bites, yellow grape and mini Roma

60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup)

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 white onion, thinly sliced

½ fennel, bulb thinly sliced, fronds reserved

1 carrot, peeled and cut into long matchsticks

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

¼ tsp each fennel and yellow mustard seeds

Pinch saffron threads

250 ml dry white wine (1 cup)

1 tsp marjoram leaves

Method

Main

1.To prepare crabs, remove triangular flap underneath crab, lift top shell away from body and discard, and remove gills and yellow ‘mustard’ from crabs and discard. Cook crabs in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until bright orange in colour and just cooked through. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile for salsa pazza, score tomatoes and blanch in boiling water for 10-20 seconds or until skin separates from flesh. Remove and, when cool enough to handle, peel and discard skin. Heat oil in a wide heavy-based saucepan and fry garlic, onion, fennel and carrot over medium heat for 5 minutes or until soft. Add spices, fry for 1 minute or until fragrant, add wine, tomatoes and marjoram and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for another 2-4 minutes or until sauce has reduced by one-third. Add crabs, stir to coat and cook, covered, for 2 minutes or until heated through.

3.To serve, divide crabs among bowls, spoon salsa over, scatter with fennel fronds and serve with crusty bread and wild rocket and parmesan salad to the side.