| Crab meat is what comes to my mind when I | | | | |
| think of a dish which is luxurious in all | | | | 3) As soon as the garlic starts coloring, you |
| terms. You may end up spending a fortune | | | | can add a cup of cherry tomatoes. |
| (close to $40 a pound) gulping down a few | | | | |
| crab cakes. And once done, you will be left | | | | 4) Continue cooking till the tomatoes |
| wanting for more. | | | | collapse. |
| | | | |
| Cooks on the East and West Coast now have | | | | 5) Just heat the crab meat. Ensure that you |
| access to great fresh crab meat, and if you | | | | are not cooking the crab meat as it is |
| can resist eating it straight from the | | | | already cooked before picking. |
| container or tossing it with a little | | | | |
| mayonnaise, it can make a full meal. Fresh | | | | There are lot of pasta shapes which you can |
| crab meat makes the pasta sauce so luxurious | | | | use with the crab meat. I have not found the |
| that no other dish can provide this with so | | | | right pasta shape, but it doesn't really |
| little work. | | | | matter. Just make sure that you shop for the |
| | | | right crab meat instead. |
| Recently, I found fresh crab meat for less | | | | |
| than $20 a pound from Maine. It costs more or | | | | --Pasta With Crab-- |
| less the same if you are looking for crab | | | | |
| meat from Maryland. "Jumbo meat" is the more | | | | ~ 1 pound pasta |
| expensive than "claw meat" and "lump lump". | | | | |
| Just shop around you'll get some fresh crab | | | | ~ 1/2 pound crab meat, or more |
| meat at some really attractive prices. | | | | |
| | | | ~ 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| If you intend making a pasta dish, you will | | | | |
| get the claw meat for $15 a pound. Jumbo lump | | | | ~ 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves |
| is a bit more costlier at $25 a pound. If you | | | | |
| wish to buy freshly picked Dungeness crab, | | | | ~ 2 dried red chilies, or to taste |
| you can look at the West Coast fish markets | | | | |
| where it sells for $25 a pound. | | | | ~ 2 tablespoons slivered or minced garlic |
| | | | |
| You can also use crab meat packed in tins or | | | | ~ Salt to taste |
| containers if you can't get fresh ones. They | | | | |
| are often pasteurized and packed in | | | | Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and |
| containers and then refrigerated. It costs | | | | salt it. Put oil, garlic, chilies and a pinch |
| almost the as fresh meat but it is picking up | | | | of salt in a saucepan large enough to hold |
| in terms of popularity with crab meat eaters. | | | | cooked pasta and turn heat to medium-low. |
| | | | Cook, shaking pan, until garlic just begins |
| It's a second choice but no a terrible one. | | | | to color; turn off heat. |
| The fresh crab meat has some intense flavor | | | | |
| which may not found in crabs in containers or | | | | When water boils, cook pasta. When it is just |
| pasteurized crab. | | | | about done, turn heat under oil back to low |
| | | | and add crab; stir once or twice. Drain pasta |
| It's very easy to cook the crab meat. Here is | | | | (reserve a bit of cooking water), and toss it |
| how you do it: | | | | in crab sauce to coat. If mixture seems a bit |
| | | | dry, add reserved cooking water or more olive |
| 1) Use crab meat, garlic, olive oil and a | | | | oil. Stir in parsley, adjust seasoning, and |
| chili or two. | | | | serve. |
| | | | |
| 2) Turn off the heat when the garlic turns | | | | Yield: 3 or 4 servings. |
| "gold" not brown. | | | | |