FLOWER POT KITCHEN: SOFT SHELL BLUE CRAB FISH FRY

10 May 2014

SOFT SHELL BLUE CRAB FISH FRY

Such a rare treat, I used to go to Billingsgate Fish Market on the Isle of Dogs to buy these gorgeous blue soft shell crabs, but I don't get to go there that often anymore so when I was able to buys these on holiday in the USA I was super excited at the chance to cook these spiced sichuan seasoned fried soft shell crabs, they are just divine, you get to eat the whole crab, this is because during June these wonderful crabs shed their shell/carapace. The reason it is hard to find these wonderful crabs is because they are in high demand and the natural supply is limited. This is a good thing I feel.

INGREDIENTS

4 soft shell crabs

150g Yellow corn meal

150g potato flour

generous pinch of salt

pinch sichuan pepper

1 tsp ground black pepper

pinch garlic powder

pinch cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 lemon quartered

3ltrs ground nut oil

This is a very simple cook, bring your oil up to 200 degrees, in a shallow tray mix the corn meal, potato flour, salt, pepper, sichuan pepper, garlic and onion powder and cayenne pepper, take your soft shell crabs and generously coat in the seasoned flour dusting all the nooks and crannies, then gently tap the crabs to shake off any excess flour, the reason for the potato flour is because it acts a little like tempura batter when fried at a high heat giving your crabs a glorious light airy crisp coating fully of spiced seasoned flavour.

I serve this with a drizzle of fresh lemon juice and a lovely lemon mayonnaise dip.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.