Spicy Crab And Vermicelli Recipes

CARBONARA WITH CRAB

Steps:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta, 4 to 6 quarts.
• Place crab meat in bowl and run your fingers through it to check for connective tissue, sharp pieces and shell. Pull into long thin strands and small bite-size pieces.
• Chop the pancetta or guanciale into 1/8 to 1/4-inch dice.
• Peel and chop the shallot, finely chop the celery and pile with it. Peel the garlic cloves and chop or have a grater at hand. Stem the thyme and chop.
• Line a small bowl with a baggie if you wish to save the egg whites. Crack and separate the eggs, with yolks in medium glass mixing bowl. Whisk up eggs and whisk in cheeses, salt and pepper.
• Salt water for pasta and drop the pasta.
• Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat with EVOO, 3 turns of the pan. Add pancetta or guanciale and render 2 to 3 minutes. Add shallots, celery, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir a minute or 2, then add sherry or white wine and crab. Toss to warm through and let sherry or wine absorb. Add juice of 1 lemon.
• Add 1 cup starchy boiling water to eggs to temper them. Drain pasta and add to crab. Toss with eggs and cheeses off heat for 1 full minute. Adjust salt and pepper, serve.
• Muddle orange at bottom of a rocks glass. Add remaining ingredients. Fill glass with ice and stir gently. Top with club soda if desired. Garnish with lemon twist.

VERMICELLI WITH SPICY CHICKEN LIVER-TOMATO

Steps:

• In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion and garlic until the onions are tender and beginning to caramelize around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chicken livers and brandy. Return the pan to the heat and shake the pan to ignite. Cook until livers are lightly browned on all sides but still pink inside, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper, bay leaf, black pepper and chicken stock to the skillet. Stir well, then let the sauce come to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Whisk in the cream and basil. Season with salt and pepper and, if the sauce seems overly acidic, add the sugar.
• Meanwhile, in a kettle or large saucepan, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pasta and return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander, then transfer to a large bowl. Remove the bay leaf from the chicken liver sauce and discard the leaf. Toss the pasta with some of the tomato sauce, then divide among serving plates. Top each serving with more sauce and some of the chicken livers. Pass the cheese at the table.