iatebrisbane.com

Every year, I go fishing with Tanya and Ellen, some girlfriends of mine that I went to school with. Tanya’s husband, Angus, runs Brisbane Fishing Online, a fishing forum for Australian anglers, and the fishing trips started, oddly enough, on Tanya’s hens night a few years back. It’s since been an annual pilgrimage to the BFO Winter Camp, which we’ve nicknamed, “Glamourfishing” (in the past, wine, brie and smoked oysters have made an appearance, friands are a regular, and Dior and is the eyewear of choice).

The scenery is breathtaking as well: this weekend, we were at Hinze Damn, were everything is lush, green and peaceful, and we idly chat away, paying little attention to the fishing, basking in the natural beauty. Best of all, though, is the catch: we take what we catch as a group back to the campsite (providing, of course, it’s of legal size and limit) to cook up to enjoy for dinner.

This year, we enjoyed plenty of bass amongst a group of about 30 anglers (Ellen, below, is posing as Rex Hunt with one of her catches), along with a massive haul of Red Claw Crayfish which were caught in traps by one of the fishermen. Red Claw are actually a pest species in Hinze Dam, having been introduced from up North, so you’re legally required NOT to release any you catch – which is fine with me, thankyou very much, because they taste absolutely sensational.  And we had such an overflow of Red Claw that I was able to bring some back with me to Brisbane, even after having fed an army of anglers the night before!

So what of these Red Claws? Well, I’ll apologise that I got them too late to get a photo of a whole one for you (they were almost all shelled by the time I arrived at camp) but I have included a photo that I found here so that you have an idea of how they look whole! 

Deep blue in colour, their bodies are about 10cm long, and the flavour is pretty similar to Moreton Bay Bugs – perhaps a tiny bit sweeter. When cooked, they are firm to the bite, but quite tender and succulent. And slather them in butter and garlic and you’re well on your way to a meal made in heaven. But tonight, I decided to use them in my favourite pasta dish. It’s simple, classic Italian flavours, it’s full of flavour, and it’s always a crowd pleaser. In fact, if you’re feeding a big group of people any time soon, I can highly recommend it, because you can use any shellfish you like, and it takes about 15 minutes to cook – yet it tastes as good as any meal that you might slave over for hours!

Preparing the Red Claw

1. Work on a stable surface.
2. Start by removing the head of the Red Claw by twisting it at the neck.
3. Place the Red Claw shell side up, flat on a chopping board.
4. With a large, very sharp knife, cut down the centre of the shell (bottom left photo, above), cutting all the way through. You will need two hands to do this, and quite a bit of pressure, so make sure you keep your fingers on your secondary hand well tucked under, so you don’t cut them off!
5. With both hands, “break” the shell apart. From here, the white flesh of the Red Claw meat will come away pretty easily from the shell with your fingers.

This method also works well for Moreton Bay Bugs, which are more expensive but much easier to source. Please note, though, that you don’t need to remove their heads before cutting, and that Bug shells are much tougher to cut through, so take extra care with your fingers!

It’s Red Claw Pasta Time!

• 50g butter
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tins whole roma tomatoes
• A splash of red wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• A handful of fresh basil leaves
• 300-500g Red Claw flesh (approx 0.5kg – 1kg of whole Red Claw flesh, more or less as you like!)
• Spaghetti, enough for 4 serves

1. Cook your spaghetti til al dente, rinse under cold water and set aside.
2. Heat butter and garlic in a large frying pan, until butter melts.
3. Add the Red Claw flesh, and cook until it becomes white and opaque, and just a little bit golden (don’t overcook! you want it nice and tender!)
4. Add the roma tomatoes, roughly breaking them apart with a wooden spoon, a good splash of red wine, and the sugar (which will help cook off the alcohol).
5. Take the basil, tearing it roughly in your hands, and add it to the pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes, and taste for seasoning.
7. Serve sprinkled with fresh basil and a good glass of red wine.
8. Buon appetito!

Serves 4. Recipe courtesy of my mum!

For those of you interested, this is the bass I caught – Hinze Dam bass are absolutely delish!