Their ancestors date back to the Lower Jurassic: fossil tracks of this crustacean have been discovered at the paleontological site of Cabeço da Ladeira (Portugal). We're talking about crabs, which have, to be honest, retained a prehistoric appearance to this day. Nonetheless, they've managed to earn a place not only in gastronomy but even in heraldry, where they represent seriousness of manners and thought, and for this reason, they appear on the coat of arms of the Allegrantia family of Florence. But crabs have also entered numerous idioms, such as in Spain, where a saying goes "thinking of the immortality of the crab" means "daydreaming," quite the opposite of a common Italian saying, "to catch a crab," which indicates someone who has made a gross mistake. And that's not all: they've also earned a well-deserved place in the history of literature. In the final part of the Greek poem entitled Batrachomyomachia (from the Ancient Greek Βατραχομυομαχία, Batrachomyomachía, “The War of the Mice and the Frogs”), the crabs, when victory seems to be in the hands of the mice, arrive on the battlefield and annihilate the mice by tearing them to pieces, thus giving victory to the frogs. The poem was later taken up again by Giacomo Leopardi in his Paralipomena of the Batrachomyomachia, where the crabs represent the Austrians.
Having exhausted our curiosity about their historical and literary aspects, let's now turn to the crabs that end up on the table in tasty preparations, from appetizers to first courses and second courses.
First of all, it must be said that crabs have a delicate flavor in cooking. Their meat is lean, leaner than, for example, that of prawns, and has a high nutritional value. This applies to all types of crab, from spider crabs to the dreaded blue crab that has invaded Italian seas, wreaking havoc on clam and other shellfish farms.
A particularly important detail is its very low calorie content, making it a great addition to a low-calorie diet. Crabs have a fat content of less than 5 percent and are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly Omega-3, known for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihypertensive, and lipid-lowering properties. Furthermore, crab meat helps meet the body's requirement for phosphorus, which is important for bones and teeth, and potassium, which helps reduce cardiovascular risk.
Like all shellfish, crabs are also a source of cholesterol and contain high amounts of sodium. Therefore, the Humanitas nutrition website warns, they should not be overeaten, as this can jeopardize the health of your heart and arteries: cholesterol deposits on the artery walls and increases the risk of atherosclerosis, while sodium increases water retention, promoting hypertension and edema.
But this warning applies only to large quantities. However, if consumed responsibly, crabs, with their tender and delicate flesh, lend themselves to dishes with an intense and fresh marine flavor that can add a distinctive touch to summer lunches and dinners. They also provide essential minerals and vitamins for our physical well-being, such as vitamin C, vitamin B3, vitamin B1, vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, and selenium.
An interesting crab-based dish for this season, a precursor to summer, comes from chef William Anzidei, who for three years has been executive chef at Les Étoiles restaurant on the penthouse floor of Rome's Atlante Star Hotel. Anzidei arrived after over twenty years of significant experience in high-end dining, working alongside some of the biggest names in the restaurant scene: from the Hilton to the Hassler, from Eden with Enrico Derflingher to the Splendide Royal, with Stefano Marzetti, including Igles Corelli and Andrea Fusco. From Igles Corelli, he undoubtedly inherited the idea of circular cuisine, where each ingredient is presented in all its parts and prepared using techniques that enhance its different textures.
In an era of extravagant offerings that reigned supreme in high-end restaurants in recent years, Anzidei's cuisine has always aimed to convey a seemingly simple message that seeks to satisfy the diner, without excessive elaborateness but instinctively, aiming to inspire amazement not with flights of fancy but with the flavor and recognizability of the ingredients, with express and light cooking that enhances the intrinsic characteristics of the foods, few ingredients, local and seasonal raw materials, from local fish to the best meats, from vegetables to dairy products.
Try it and believe the recipe we propose to Mondo Food readers:
Tagliolini with crab, basil and tomato
Ingredients for 4 people:
3 crabs
400 grams of tagliolini
500 grams of piccadilly tomatoes
½ liter of fish stock
Fresh basil to taste
Extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste
1 shallot
4 cloves of garlic
A few drops of brandy
Method
Wash the crabs and blanch them for 5 minutes. Once cooled, scoop out the meat from the claws and set aside. Remove the shells and scoop out the meat; brown it in a pan with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and shallots, adding the shells, fresh tomatoes, a splash of brandy, and a few basil leaves, followed by the fish stock. Cook for 45 minutes—the consistency should remain very liquid. Strain the mixture through a chinois. Then, reduce the strained liquid in the pan and use it to cook the pasta. Once the tagliolini are cooked, add the crab meat from the claws and a few cherry tomatoes previously sautéed in garlic and oil. Stir well and serve, garnishing with a few fresh basil leaves.
