Luca’s Mud Crabs – More Soul Food

Some research emerged this week around what makes our meals memorable. Not surprisingly the analysis revealed that a memorable meal typically involves cooked food, wine, family and friends, and a “positive emotional state.” No surprises there!!

I had one of those memorable meals this week. It involved all of the above in addition to some fresh mud crabs, captured by my host from our very own deck. Yes that host was Luca. You may have read my post on Luca’s Pizza. I didn’t think any meal could be better than Luca’s pizza, but this week Luca’s pizza has met it’s match; Luca’s mud crabs!

When Luca invites you for dinner, you never turn him down. I am not sure whether he is aware of it but there is a waiting list of people anticipating an invite for dinner at Luca’s! His reputation is unprecedented! And its not just the food, it’s the passion and planning he puts into his meals. It truly is a privilege to get an invite to Luca’s for dinner, believe me!

An entrée of raw fish, marinated in olive oil, lime juice and fresh coriander, was made all the more tasty by the aroma of a rich chilli, tomato, and garlic sauce simmering on the stove top in anticipation of those fresh mud crabs. All the while the story of the capture of those mud crabs, and an unsuspecting rock cod with the misfortune of getting itself trapped in that very same pot. A  stingray, returned to the ocean, the only captured marine life that didn’t find itself on our plate that night!

Luca expounds on the flavours he’s used, a sip of wine, a taste of sauce, a pinch of salt, a sip of wine……

Finally the crabs, perfectly cleaned and cracked are added to the sauce. Just a few minutes later we are sitting around a bowl of mud crabs, up to our elbows in tomato sauce, sucking the flesh from massive claws. Two little Italian girls at the table with us, smiling, giggling, sauce dripping from their chins.

This was one of those ‘memorable meals’. The food was fresh – you can’t get fresher than watching it being pulled from the harbour outside your own home, the ingredients combined to create perfect and full-bodied flavours.

So this week, it’s not really about low carb, although this meal was low carb! It’s about health. It’s about fresh and unprocessed foods, preparing food mindfully, and sharing food with friends and family. May we all have many more meals as memorable and mindful as this one!!