Thursday, February 10, 2011

Oh Dear....

February is the month, as I have mentioned, for recovering from the summer excesses, for Feb fasting and exercising madly.  Not that I can see the point of giving up drinking for a month when you know you will start again in a desperate frenzy of thirst in March.

It is possible to show some restraint, however, and I have been very good, back playing tennis, boxing and working like mad in the garden, eating well and having a few alcohol free days each week but something very sinister beckoned me at our local fish shop the other day and I fell off the wagon:


Crispy soft shell crab is not what you would class as a health food, but so so delicious.  My first encounter with it was at  Portsea this year, where my dearly beloved was playing in the annual social climb/ drink fest sorry, Polo tournament.  Whilst the dishy-for-an-ageing-rocker James Reyne was belting out a few classics at half time I was busy in the marquee acquainting myself with crispy soft shell crabs.


They were handing it around on trays served in a white bread roll, simply with nice mayo and iceberg lettuce.  Sublime.  So when I saw it in the fish shop, frozen, I thought I should have a go.  

With the muffin tops in mind, I thought  I should try a slightly more healthy approach so I made a salad:


I cooked the soft shelled crab in the oven at 180 for 10 minutes while I made the salad.  I arranged some salad leaves, chopped cherry tomatoes, torn mint and basil from the garden.  I then made a dressing of 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 tblsp each of rice wine vinegar, mirin, fish sauce and soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice.
You could go either Asian or Mediterranean with this.  Just yum.  It is still even better squashed into a soft bread roll with mayo and lettuce.  My advice is to keep well away.






1 comment:

  1. Jeepers that sounds good. It is only mid-morning, but I feel like buying a deep fryer, then donning scuba gear and diving into the Arno to hunt for soft-shelled crabs!!
    The white-bread roll sounds deliciously vile and bound to add half and axe handle to the derriere. xx

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