Crabs in White Wine and Garlic Sauce Over Linguine
I came up with this recipe while vacationing on LBI 25 years ago and it has been a summer favorite ever since and whenever the crabs are running. That’s Long Beach Island for those of you who are not from around here and it is one of the barrier islands on the Jersey (sea) Shore. Most of us around here just call it “the shore.” For example, I’m so excited that I’m goin’ down the shore this weekend!” I was cooking for Sue’s side of the family who we were vacationing with, and everyone wanted crabs since we were down the shore. See. I just said it. So, while enjoying some shucked clams on the rooftop deck, I came up with this simple recipe that would allow us to enjoy picking at the crabs over the course of a few hours. The pasta is here for when you get hungry. Just take a few bites and then you can get back to your crabs.You will note the crabs in this recipe have been cleaned. If you are not familiar with how to do that and desire a little more instruction than the information provided in step 1, I uploaded a short tutorial onto my “Craig’s Pro Tips” page you can refer to. Mangia!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 dozen Blue Claw Crabs
- 1 pound linguine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 stick unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon diced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon finely crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshlyground black pepper (FGBP)
- 1 cup white wine or vermouth and brandy mixture
- 2 cups clam juice (use a week solution of chicken broth if you don’t have clam juice)
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning or anequal combination of granulated onion, celery salt and paprika
Instructions
- Stun the crabs in very hot tap water and clean by sticking a clamming or butter knife underneath and behind the shell and prying upwards. Scrape out internal organs, lungs and face, rinse thoroughly and set aside.
- Begin heating water for the pasta. Add the linguine with a half of a teaspoon of the salt after it comes to a boil and when the crabs are almost done cooking.
- In a separate pot, large enough to accommodate the crabs in one or two batches, start the garlic in the olive oil and butter along with the hot pepper over medium heat. After one minute, add the basil, parsley, oregano salt and pepper and cook for another minute.
- Add the wine and clam juice then, half of the crabs. Sprinkle on half of the Old Bay seasoning and stir to mix well and coat the crabs with the mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for approximately five minutes until the crabs turn orange. Toss the crabs occasionally to coat them in the liquid. Remove the crabs from the pot and transferto serving platter. Repeat with the second batch of crabs.
- Prepare linguine to desired tenderness, strain and put in a large pasta bowl. Pour the liquid portion of the mixture over the linguine and mix well. Top with some of the crabs from the serving platter.
- Serve by first distributing some of the pasta and liquid to each bowl and top with a crab or two. Grated Romano cheese on the side is recommended.
Notes
Suggested sides: Lots of napkins, a tool to crack the crabs, and a clean shirt.
Suggested wine pairings: Albariño or Chardonnay.