If you’re feeling the cold and want something hearty to fill your stomach and warm the body, then Bondi Trattoria’s spaghetti with blue swimmer crabmeat, cuttlefish, green garlic , chilli & broccoli rabe will tick all the boxes.
Serves 4
Ingredients
560 g (1 lb 4 oz) fresh spaghetti
80 ml (21/2 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
300 g (101/2 oz) cuttlefish, thinly sliced (you can use calamari if unavailable)
24 red cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 bunch garlic chive flowers, finely chopped 2 tablespoons confit garlic, puréed
2 red mild/hot chillies, finely chopped
60 ml (2 fl oz) lime juice
2 lime leaves, thinly sliced
320 g (111/4 oz) blue swimmer crab meat
1 bunch broccoli rabe, finely sliced
1/4 bunch tarragon, leaves roughly chopped 1/4 bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, leaves roughly chopped
100 ml (31/2 fl oz) white wine
200 ml (7 fl oz) fish stock
80 g (23/4 oz) breadcrumbs
50 ml (13/4 fl oz) ghee
2 limes, halved
lemon extra virgin olive oil, for dressing the dish
Method
Melt the ghee in a small frying pan over medium– low heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook until golden. Remove from the heat and allow to cool at room temperature.
Place a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a simmer. Add a good pinch of salt to the water.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the green garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the cuttlefish, chilli and cherry tomatoes and sauté for a further 30 seconds. Add the confit garlic, lime leaf and cook for 10 seconds, then add the white wine and deglaze the pan.
Add the pasta to the boiling water, it will take about 2 minutes to cook.
Add the fish stock to the cuttlefish and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce buy two-thirds and add the crab meat. Cook for a further minute, then add the strained cooked pasta, parsley, tarragon and lime juice and stir in well.
Toss half of the toasted breadcrumbs into the pasta and divide into serving pasta bowls.
Sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs and drizzle well with lemon extra virgin olive oil. Serve with the lime cheeks.
Bondi Trattoria, New Holland Publishers RRP $45.00 available from all good book retailers or online
