This dish is one of my Mum’s dinner specialties and if you ask me it is definitely restaurant standard.
It may sound exotic but I think you will be surprised to find out how quick and simple this chilli crab noodles recipe is… the secret lies in the quality of the ingredients. As with all of our recipes, we obtain fresh and sustainable produce, and organic (wherever possible). Not only does this benefit our health and the environment, but it enhances natural flavour.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
500 grams raw spanner crab meat (we use first grade, frozen from Fraser Island)*
1 large bunch of shallots (approx. 250g)
1 punnet cherry tomatoes (approx. 250g)
3 small deseeded chillies
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 knob of ginger, grated (approx. 70 grams)
1 small bunch of coriander
Green noodles (for this recipe we used organic spinach noodles, however these are not gluten free so you may wish to substitute for your favourite gluten free variety).
*Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. It is also important not to re-cook crabmeat, so do not use pre-cooked crab for this recipe.
Top with your choice of young greens, we use a combination of cress, rocket, parsley and coriander from our herb garden.
Method
- Melt coconut oil and braise chopped shallots, chillies and halved cherry tomatoes on medium heat for approx. 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place other ingredients (crab, grated ginger, lime juice and chopped coriander) in a bowl and mix together.
- Add to to the shallot and tomato mixture, lower heat and allow to cook for a further 5-10 minutes (or until crab is cooked), stirring frequently.
- Meanwhile, cook noodles as per instructions of your chosen brand.
- Drain, and combine with crab mixture.
- Serve, topped with fresh young greens, lime wedges and chilli flakes (optional).
What are the nutritional benefits of the high protein, low calorie food – crab?
Crab is a low calorie, high protein meat that is rich in both DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) omega 3 fats, important for neurological, cardio-vascular and cell membrane health. Other nutrients in crabmeat include B vitamins, particularly B12 as well as minerals such as zinc, calcium and magnesium.
Crabmeat is, however, another controversial food due to it’s cholesterol content. Therefore, people with familial hypercholesterolaemia (meaning the liver makes too much) need to carefully monitor their cholesterol intake. For most people though, cholesterol containing foods do not have a big impact on blood cholesterol levels. Our bodies require cholesterol for the production of steroidal hormones.
As with other fish and seafood, it is important to enquire about sources. We recommend choosing high quality, ethically caught crab from sustainable sources where possible. For this recipe we have used wild, high grade Spanner Crab, caught off Fraser Island in Queensland. The meat is raw and frozen immediately.
