Chef Mcdonald shares that this orecchiette with crab is one of the gateway dishes to finer dining in Seaside Florida. “Compared to New York City, palates are not as immediately adventurous here; it can be hard to sell certain dishes. Diners have to trust you first. But if word gets out, before you know it you’re feeding them things they’ve never tried before, and they love it.”
yields
Serves 2
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
¼ cup diced pancetta
1 shallot, finely diced
Salt and pepper
½ cup charred corn (removed from cob)
Splash Dolin Dry vermouth
½ cup crab stock
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ tablespoon butter
¾ cup fresh orecchiette pasta
½ cup jumbo lump crabmeat, shelled
½ head fennel, thinly shaved
1 pickled jalapeño, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
Ingredients
steps
- Bring large pot of salted water to boil. In a sauté pan, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. When pan is hot, add pancetta and cook until slightly rendered. Add shallot and season with salt. Add corn and sauté 1 minute. Add vermouth and cook until liquid is nearly gone. Add crab stock and lemon juice and cook until reduced by half. Add butter and stir to emulsify.
- Meanwhile, boil orecchiette until al dente. (Time will vary depending on freshness of pasta—just-made fresh pasta will be 2 to 4 minutes, store-bought will be more like 6 to 7 minutes.) Drain pasta and add to pan of sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in crab meat, shaved fennel, and pickled jalapeño. Add cream, tossing to combine until sauce coats pasta. Divide between 2 bowls and top with herbs and breadcrumbs. Drizzle with remaining oil before serving.
Date Published: 02.10.21
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Recipe by
Phillip McDonald of Bud & Alley's Pizza Bar of Seaside, Florida
