RESOLUTE, BUT NO RESOLUTIONS; IT’S BEEN RESOLVED!

Sand Crabs aka Blue Swimmers

Cooked Sand Crabs

My latest selfie taken on New Year's Day!

Even though I resolved never to do it again, I failed miserably. I did it again!  Will I ever learn?  Will I never learn? Apparently not if my past performances are anything to go by!

I should learn to contain myself.  I’ve got a million litres of pea and ham soup contained in containers in my freezer!  Hold on!  Don’t run away screaming in fear!  I’m not going to offer you any!   Not because it means I’m mean because I’m not mean. What I mean is I know all of you have gallons of your own buried in your freezers now that the Festive Season has come and gone.

I’m not even going to give you a recipe for pea and ham soup. I’m sure you have thousands of recipes for the soup stuck away in places you’ve forgotten existed. Most of said recipes were probably handed down from your grandmothers and mothers-in-law!

I lower my head in shame as I confess this, but confess I must.  I’ve no other choice!  If I don’t own up it will play on my mind throughout 2016!  If that were to happen I’d be even grumpier than I normally am!  I know some of you are probably thinking that would be impossible, but I assure you it is possible; and it’s not a pretty picture!  Take my word for it; I know!  I live with me every day and I have to put up with it. 

A week or two prior to Christmas just past I decided to make some room in my freezer knowing I’d need space in the days and weeks ahead.  While scrimmaging through my freezer with unidentifiable things going left, right and centre I felt like an archaeologist on a dig amongst the pyramids of ancient Egypt or the Yucatan.  I was in awe of the mysteries I unfolded. 

To my surprise, I discovered a container of pea and ham soup from Christmas before last! Mumbling to myself, it ended up in the “use-by-date-long-passed” pile. In other words, into the garbage bag it promptly went, finally ending up at the rubbish tip.  Ready-made pea and ham soup is probably sprouting up everywhere at the dump.  Recycling is good.

You see, another reason I had to get all of the above chores over and done with was the “Summer of Tennis” was looming. (All the lead-up tournaments to the Australian Open have commenced...and the Australian Open itself commences today week...18th January, culminating on January 31st).

For me, the month of January is set aside watching tennis sets on my television set.  I settle in for the duration, happy to shut out the rest of the world. Sometimes I feel like doing similar (shutting out the rest of the world), not just during January. It sounds like a good plan for the rest of the year!

This fact about my shameless tennis habit/addiction I’m sure I’ve disclosed I’ve in previous years, but a year is a long time (even though 12 months race by faster than the speed of light). I'm not ashamed of my addiction. Even though I do suffer withdrawals at month's end...I've not yet been carted away to rehab.

In the meanwhile, you’ve no doubt forgotten about my addiction.  If you have I don’t blame you one little bitty bit.  I almost forgot to mention it again, even though I’d remembered I’d mentioned it before. 

I do hate repeating myself.  I’m sure others hate it even more when I do so.

I also hate it when some choose to finish off my stories for me even though they don’t know anything about the story I’m in the midst of telling, and played no role in it!  Some folk have the bad habit of talking over the other, even though, in the majority of cases they’ve not a clue where the storyline is headed.  

I keep my feelings and thoughts hidden, but I become very annoyed when I’m relating a story that is known only to me and the person to whom I’m telling the story decides to talk over me as if he/she had actually participated in the event.  

Nowadays, I’ve grown a little wiser when this happens (it might be the only thing about which I’ve gained wisdom, so it is worth noting). When someone over-talks/interrupts me I just shut up these days and let them finish the story their way.  Obviously, they know better the details of what occurred than I do!

On the subject of repeating one’s self. I guess I’m no different to anyone else.  There are times each of us adopts the repetition habit. Don’t we?  Don’t we? 

I never make New Year resolutions. I’ve probably told you that before, too.  2016 is no different.  I resolved not to make resolutions - I guess it could be classed as a resolution, if one chooses to be resolutely pedantic.

Perhaps I could’ve resolved to be more patient. However, knowing I’d fail within the first few hours of the brand new year I didn’t bother. It's already the 11th day of January, and I've failed 11 times at the very least!

I could’ve resolved to stop repeating myself. There was really no point in that, either because I will repeat myself...often; more than often.

On second thoughts, I’ll resolve to continue being grumpy, though. I can’t help myself; it comes naturally to me.  You never know...another TV show might be made about me. It’s food for thought. I’ll remain crabby!

While on the subject of crabs, and all things crabby....as with all seafood, I personally prefer to prepare and eat seafood as simply as possible...with no bells, whistles, streamers or balloons necessary.  All I need is a bowl of vinegar, pepper, salt, fresh, crusty bread and butter (always butter, never that horrible other stuff called "margarine") and a finger bowl or, better still, the kitchen sink nearby to wash my hands as I devour the feast before me...but in case other methods are preferred...here are a couple of recipes for you to ponder over throughout 2016 and yonder.

Pepper Mud Crabs: Mix together 1tbs oyster sauce, 1/4tsp white pepper, 1/2tsp sesame oil, 1/4tsp fish sauce, 1tsp sugar, ¾ cup water and 1/2tbs cornflour in the bowl. It should taste slightly sweet; adjust to taste. Clean 2 uncooked mud crabs; cut into segments. Crack crabs claws; coat the cut parts of the crabs with cornflour. Heat up a wok; add about 2 cups of peanut oil; when oil is heated, deep fry the crab pieces. As soon as they turn red, remove from oil; strain the excess oil; set aside. Heat up a clean wok; add 2tbls of peanut oil. Add 2tbls minced ginger and 4 chopped garlic cloves; fry until fragrant; add the crab; stir few times and then add the sauce. Add 4 stalks of shallots, cut into 2-inch lengths; stir a couple of times until the crab pieces are well coated with sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Crab Fritters: Melt 15g butter in saucepan; add 3 peeled, finely chopped eschalots; cook 2mins on low heat; set aside. Whisk 5 egg yolks until frothy. Stir in 300g fresh crabmeat, 1c fresh breadcrumbs, 2tsp baking powder, 1/3c roughly chopped Italian parsley, 2tbs finely grated lemon zest, the eschalots, salt and pepper. Whisk egg white to soft peaks; fold through mixture. Add vegetable oil to 1cm depth in non-stick pan; place on med-heat. When hot but not smoking, add 1/4c mixture; cook 1-2mins per side until golden and puffy; drain on paper towel. Repeat process; serve immediately.  

Crab Taglierini: Add 500g taglierini to large pot of boiling salted water. Cook al dente; drain; reserve about 1tbs of cooking liquid in pot. Return pasta to pot; set aside. While pasta is cooking, place 125ml x-virgin olive oil, 3 eschalots, sliced, 1 crushed garlic clove,  65ml lemon juice, 4 ripe, seeded, diced tomatoes, 2 seeded, sliced red chillies, salt and pepper in small saucepan over med-heat. Simmer 3-4mins; add 40g cubed butter, one cube at a time; swirl to amalgamate. Stir sauce through pasta with 1 bunch trimmed rocket and 250g fresh crabmeat; serve.  

Crab-Asparagus Omelette: Lightly blanch 5 asparagus stalks; keep warm. Whisk 3 egg yolks lightly; stir in 1tbs finely chopped chives, 1tbs chopped chervil, 2tsp grated lemon zest, salt and pepper. Whisk egg whites to soft peaks; fold through yolk mixture. Preheat grill; melt 20g butter in omelette pan over low heat. Pour mixture into pan; shake to level. Cook 2-3mins on stove top; then place under grill for 2mins or until just firm when pressed lightly with fingers. Place asparagus and 59g fresh crabmeat just off centre; season; gently fold omelette over filling; sprinkle with chervil.

Sand Crabs with Tomato-Garlic-White Wine: Prepare 4 uncooked sand crabs by removing the carapace, the soft internal bits and pieces and the feathery gills. With a heavy knife cut the bodies (the crab bodies, that is!) into quarters.  Heat 3tbls olive oil in large pan; add 1 finely-chopped medium onion, 4 finely chopped garlic cloves and 1 to 3 finely chopped red chillies (optional); cook over med-heat, 2-3mins.  Add 1c dry white wine, 400g can diced tomatoes and crab; mix together; cover pan with lid or foil; simmer 8-10mins, mixing occasionally until crab is cooked. Add 2tbls chopped parsley, 3tbls fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste; mix through. Serve.