Spicy crab, bacon and wild garlic pasta
This is a main course for 4 people:
- 2 dressed crabs from J Waddell & Son
- 4 slices of hand cut, dry cure (or smoked) bacon from Hammond Charcuterie
- 500g spaghetti or other long pasta such as tagliatelle
- Small handful of wild garlic from the banks of the Eye Water.
- Chilli rape-seed oil from East Lothian
- Plain rapeseed oil from East Lothian
- Pepper
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain and slick with 1 tablespoon of plain rapeseed oil, fold around until all the pasta is shiny with oil and set aside in a warm place.
Cut the bacon into 1cm chunks, or thin strips if you are feeling fancy.
Thoroughly wash the wild garlic leaves, cut off the stalks if they are a bit chunky, otherwise just slice across the leaves until they are shredded. This smells really good!
Put the bacon in a large warmed frying pan (the pasta will be going in this pan so it needs to be big enough) and cook gently until crispy, then leaving the oil in the pan, remove the bacon and set aside then pour away some of the oil, leaving about 3 tablespoons in the pan.
Put the pan back on the heat and add the crab meat and wild garlic and stir gently until the garlic leaves have wilted and gone dark green.
Put the bacon back, warm through then add the pasta, ensuring that it is thoroughly coated with bits tasty goodness, and piping hot, then season to taste with the pepper. Just before serving, add 1 tablespoon of chilli rapeseed oil, or less if you don't like too much heat, distribute through the dish and serve. No need to salt this dish, but taste it and see.
This recipe is from Rachel Hammond of The Greedy Reiver –She makes wonderful charcuterie products as well as lovely Scottish stuff for your pantry. All homemade in Eyemouth. Scottish foods made with local ingredients such as tablet jam, beremeal shortbread and other wild and unusual goodies. Contact Rachel Hammond. Mob: 07905 697717
Visit her fab stall at St Abbs Market every Friday
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