This Sardinian Fregola with Crabs is one of the most delicious dishes of the Sardinian cuisine I',ve ever eaten!
I am passionate about cooking and a very enthusiastic Thermomix owner but this does not mean I know everything about the culinary universe :-))))) There are many things I don't know yet and I'm willing to know.
One of these things is the main ingredient of today's recipe: the Sardinian fregola. I heard of it for the first time (it derives from Latin "frisare" meaning cut into pieces, crumble, small fragment) when a friend of mine from Sardinia invited me for lunch and served a very good "fregola con le arselle".
This type of pasta immediately aroused my interest, it is very similar to cous cous but rougher. It is a typical Sardinian dish, a dry pasta made with durum wheat flour and water that is shaped like small irregular spheres. The pasta bits are toasted after they are dried, changing into a golden colour.
In Sardinia it is easy to find it. In the other Italian regions you can find it in specialized regional food shops. In the rest of the world I suppose you may try findng it on-line!
Today's recipe has been sent by Fabrizia Cireddu (CI) who writes: "Hello Flavia, the recipe I'm sending you is a first dish I've always traditionally cooked in pans. It is created and adapted by me because when I bought my Thermomix I stopped to use pans and saucepans. It is a first dish we adore, it was delicious!!!
Other traditional Italian recipes are the Blancmange, the Apulian Focaccia and the Gnocco Fritto Emiliano.
Other ideas for a fish first dish are the Seafood Risotto and the Seafood Paella.
Ingredients
3 people serving
- 500 g Crabs
- 1 Dry Tomato
- 1/2 Onion
- 1/2 Tsp Thermomix Stock Cube
- 300 g Fregola, rough
- 600 g Water
- 2 Fresh Tomatoes, cut into small cubes
- 1 Chilli Pepper
- 25 g Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
How to prepare the Sardinian Fregola with Crabs
Clean crabs. Keep them open so that the eggs will give the dish a special taste.
When ready, wash the dry tomato, dry it with kitchen paper and put it in the bowl with the onion. 3 Min. 100°C Speed 6.
Add oil, chilli pepper and crabs. 5 Min. Speed Gentle Stirring Reverse.
Add water and let boil. 3 Min. Temp. Varoma Speed Gentle Stirring.
Add thermomix stock cube and the fregola. 6 Min. Temp. Varoma Speed Gentle Stirring Reverse.
(This is the general cooking time for fregola, anyway you can check the cooking because it may change from one type of fregola to another.)
Fabrizia's advice
This dish can be taste as you like it: dryer or more watery. In this case the broth dose must be increase because fregola tends to absorb so much liquid.
How to prepare the Sardinian Fregola without Thermomix
http://homes.ninemsn.com.au/houseandgarden/food/8179667/toasted-sardinian-couscous-fregola-asciutta
Translated from the Italian recipe
Fregola Sarda: Ricetta Bimby con I Granchi
Photocredit: kaunokainen