LINGUINE WITH CHILLI, CRAB AND WATERCRESS

You know, I’d eaten this a couple of times and made it myself (throwing in handfuls of peppery watercress as I did so) a few more before I realised it was, give or take, the River Cafe’s recipe – by which I mean to say that although the amounts and full list of ingredients vary, it is an English seaside version of their fabulous original. I suppose that’s how you know something’s become a classic: it just seeps its way into the culinary language.

Crab is, I think, hugely underrated – so much better than lobster, and much cheaper. You can use frozen crab meat for this, but it’s best to get a fishmonger to cook and pick out the meat for you.

Don’t let the fact that a pestle and mortar is indicated put you off: this is fabulously easy to make.

2 cloves garlic

1 scant tablespoon Maldon salt

1 large red chilli

1.25kg undressed crab, to give you 200g white meat and 100g brown meat

125ml extra virgin olive oil

juice and zest of 1 lemon

500g linguine

handful fresh parsley, chopped

handful watercress leaves, roughly torn

Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.

In a large pestle and mortar pulverise the peeled garlic cloves with the salt, so that it makes a smooth paste. Then add the chopped and seeded chilli and crush again until you have a gloriously red-tinged mixture. Tip in the crab meat, breaking it up gently with a fork, and pour in the oil. Zest the lemon into the mortar and then add the juice.

Using a fork, beat well to mix, and then you are ready to cook your pasta. So do so, and then drain the pasta and tip into a warmed serving bowl. Immediately pour over the crab sauce and toss the pasta about in it, then throw in the parsley and watercress and toss again.

Serves 6 as a starter; 4 as a main course.