Tuesday 22^nd May 2012

Day 7 - Island Head Creek –the Crab Man arrives.
It is raining again but the wind has died down to nothing.

Forever Dreaming left in the morning, making their way to Hunter Island, Curlew and then Mackay. The same track that we will do. We did see a couple of more boats sailing by, out the front going south. Now that would be very lumpy!

Ric has caught and delivered the mud crabs

After our conversation on Neriki yesterday about where the crabs might be and my suggestion to go further up stream, Ric did exactly that, on the incoming tide to put down his crab pots. He came back with his payload of four huge crabs; giving me three of them. Ric said that he was sure to have more again the following morning. Now this is what sharing with friends is all about!

Crabs are a messy thing to cook and clean. It took a couple of hours of preparation work to cook, crack the shells and prize the juicy meat out. This I then made into a big hot pot with sweet corn and a Thai flavour.

Nancy’s Crab and Sweet Corn

1 egg & 1 tbsp oil in a small bowl
Whisk the egg and oil together, set aside
4C/1litre chicken broth/stock (I used chicken noodle soup)
Place in large pot bring to the boil then add
2 X 400g cans corn kernel drained (I added the liquid because I was adding extra crab meat and dried coconut cream powder)
Simmer and then add
1tbsp rice wine or dry sherry (I used gin)
1tbsp light soy sauce
5cm piece ginger, grated (I used 1tsp dry ginger)
A handful each of fresh coriander & Thai basil
1tsp sugar
Heat through
Stir in 2tbsp cornflour mixed to a smooth paste in 1tbsp of reserved stock
Bring to the boil
Add 1 ½ C crab meat (I used the meat from the 3 crabs)
Stir in
1 X 270g/330g tin of coconut (can be light) cream (I used 2tbsp dry coconut powder)
Stir and keep heated but not boiling
Slowly add the egg mixture, stirring constantly
Season with salt & pepper
Serve or let cool slightly and sink into the bottom of the fridge or freezer for another day
Enjoy!