Pasta with Kelp and Periwinkles

If you have been following my blog you may have noticed that lately I have started to add some recipes on sea vegetables. Moving forward I will be adding new sub-sections labeled "sea vegetables" and "periwinkles". This recipe has all three ingredients--green crabs, sea vegetables, and periwinkles. It makes 2 generous servings. You may garnish the dish with freshly ground black or white peppers and cheese of your choice.

pasta with kelp and periwinkles

Pasta with Kelp and Periwinkles

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (3 1/2 oz) cooked periwinkle meat, washed and drained
8 oz penne or another pasta of your choice, cooked according to package insert
About 1 Tbsp oil (vegetable or another of your choice)
About 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
A few slices of red or white onion (more or less depending on your preference)
4 fresh baby sugar kelp, washed and cut into approximately 6 inch x 1/4 inch strips
1/2 cup half and half or coconut milk
1/2 cup, plus about 1/3 cup Simple Green Crab Stock
1 small bunch of scallions, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce (or according to your taste)

Method:

Boil the periwinkles about 5-6 minutes and drain. Once the shells are cooled to handle remove the meat and reserve. Cook the pasta according to the package's instructions, drain and set aside. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot add oil then garlic and onion. Saute about a minute or until the garlic is slightly golden. Add kelp, periwinkle meat, half and half, and 1/2 cup of stock. Once the liquid starts to boil turn heat down to let the liquid simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the pasta, the rest of the stock (1/3 cup), scallions and season with fish sauce. Saute to coat everything and remove from heat once the pasta is heated thoroughly.

kelp, periwinkle meat, half and half, crab stock

Garlicky Crustacean Pasta

I have a lot to be thankful for...

I am extremely grateful that my husband and I survived a major car accident...that we walked out of our crumpled car that day.

Since September 10th I have cooked only a handful of simple dishes...mostly since the beginning of this month. I am still healing...although my body is not 100% yet I am making noticeable progress each week. While on the mend my mother has been staying with us, cooking constantly and before returning to her home she would leave us an abundance of prepared food in the freezer and refrigerator until her next visit. Thank goodness that I have a supportive, loving, and caring supermom. 

This dish is simple and you can make it even if you have only one good hand and a partial use of the other. For this dish I use garlic and shallots grown from my parents' organic garden. My mother already removed the lobster meat and kept them frozen. The roe was previously frozen. I partially thaw them before cooking. This dish makes about 2-3 servings.

garlicky crustacean pasta

Garlicky Crustacean Pasta

Ingredients:

12 oz Squid Ink Spaghetti
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 small head of garlic, smashed, finely chopped
1 large or 2 small shallots, peeled, finely chopped
3 oz uncooked green crab roe
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Meat from 2 medium to large lobsters, cut into bit size
2 scallions, green parts only, chopped
2 tsp fish sauce (nước mắm)
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper
A pinch of dried crushed seaweed, garnish

Method:

Cook the Squid Ink Spaghetti according to the package instructions, drain and set it aside.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic and shallots. Saute for about 2 minutes or until the shallot is soft. Add crab roe, and butter, saute about a  minute. Add lobster meat and scallion, saute about 2 minutes or until the meat is heated through. Add spaghetti and season with fish sauce, sugar and pepper. Once the spaghetti is heated through (about 2 minutes) then turn off heat and serve with a sprinkle of seaweed and more white pepper.

Crabby Pizza

crabby pizza

I have about 30 tiny crabs ranging in less than an inch across the carapace and I have a husband who loves to eat pizza. I fried these live crabs without any seasoning for about 10 seconds and scooped them out with a tiny strainer. You can blanch them in hot water as well but I had the fryer out when I was frying up the soft-shell crabs. I would hate to try to chase after them as they are crawling away from my pizza!

I texted 2 Family Nurse Practitioner colleagues my crabby pizza photo. Sue responded, "It looks yucky". Kelly responded, "Hahah yummy !!" Although, I can hear her screaming with sarcasm all over her text. I also received a strong "yes" from my gastroenterologist friend Thao asking if she would eat this. I will withhold their last names to protect their privacy! 😁

My husband ate the pizza but tells me that after eating crabs for 2 days straight he would like to eat cheerios the next day! 

deep fried green crabs for about 10 seconds

sea asparagus or salicornia

this pizza (on pizza peel) is all ready to go into the hot oven

freshly baked crabby pizza on a pizza stone

crabby pizza

Crabby Pizza 

Ingredients:

1 Basic Pizza Dough recipe, home-made or store-bought (see recipe below or use your own recipe)
About 30 live crabs (less than 1-inch), fried or blanched for about 10 seconds
1 medium sized tomato, thinly sliced, dabbed with paper towel to remove excess liquid
About 10-12 sprigs of sea asparagus, washed and blanched for about 20 seconds in the microwave
Thinly slices of cheese (your choice)
Thinly slices of red onion

Method:

Make the dough (see recipe below). Fry the live crabs in oil for about 10 seconds. Scoop them out onto paper towels to remove excess oil. Preheat the oven to the highest possible temperature (around 500-550 F if possible) with a pizza stone (if you have one). Dust the surface of your working area (use a pizza peel if you have one) with plenty of flour before placing the dough down. Flatten the dough out as thinly as you can or prefer. Dab the tomato slices on a clean paper towel to remove excess liquid before scattering them on the pizza. This will help prevent the pizza from getting too soggy. Layer the cheese slices down and then arrange the crabs next. Arrange the crabs however you prefer. I arrange the smallest ones at the center and increase to larger ones to the peripheral. Next scatter with red onion slices and sea asparagus. Carefully slide the pizza onto the pre-heated pizza stone in the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the pizza crust is golden. For the last minute add a few more slices of cheese and turn off heat. Remove the pizza and enjoy.

*This pizza may serve as a meal for 1 person or appetizers for 2.

resting pizza dough for about 30 minutes

Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup "00" flour, plus extra for kneading
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

In a measuring glass add warm water, sugar and yeast. Stir and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Sift flour and salt and add the liquid, knead for about 5 minutes. Wrap loosely in plastic or cover and rest for about 30 minutes. Before using knead again for 2-3 minutes.

*Adjust the water if needed depending on the humidity level in your environment.