The 2013 crab season is upon us again.  Delightfully sweet blue manna crabs can be caught just about anywhere in the Peel region of Western Australia.  Our preferred way is using crab pots and scoop to entice these delectable treats into our traps.

• Cook the crabs for 6 mins in a steamer over heavily salted water.
• After 6 minutes plunge the straight into a bowl of  icy water to stop the cooking.  This also helps release the meat from the shell when peeling.
• Remove the head, lungs and other gooey stuff leaving just the body and, claws and legs.
• Peel the crabs gently and try to preserve the big chunks that you extra from the body and being careful not to miss any bits of shell.

The nest step takes all of a few minutes so its essential you get all your ingredients ready.

Bring some heavily salted water to the boil.  Add your pasta and stir so it doesn’t stick together.

1. When the pasta is about 3 mins from ready, fry the garlic and chilli in a heated sauté pan with plenty of tasty olive oil.
2. Add cherry tomatoes to the garlic and chilli aand a dash of white wine and season well.  When the pasta is done transfer it directly into the sauté pan.  Don’t drain all the liquid from the pasta but drag a little of the pasta water across and allow the water and oil to emulsify.
3. Add plenty of chopped flat-leaf parsley and toss to coat the pasta.  Careful here, if the pasta gets abitgluggy and dry, and in a spoonfulof the hot pasta water.  The pasta and sauce should be loose and velvety.
4. Finally add in the crab flash, toss through the pasta, add a squeeze of lemon juice and serve immediately with more chopped parsley.

Enjoy.