There’s something pretty hard to beat about a feed of yabbies - especially if they’ve come out of a local dam, channel, or a good old Mallee waterhole after a warm spell.
Most of us are guilty of eating them straight out of the shell, or dunking them whilst still warm in vinegar. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, that’s probably still the king of yabby feeds.
If you’ve managed to show a little self-control and save a few, this is a cracking way to turn them into something a bit special. It’s still simple, still local, and still has that backyard/camp kitchen feel, just with a bit of pasta thrown in so you can pretend you’re fancy.
This one is all about fresh yabbies, garlic, chilli, lemon and a splash of white wine. Perfect for a summer night in Mildura, especially with a cold drink nearby and someone else doing the washing up.
What you’ll need
- Fresh yabbies
- Linguine or spaghetti
- Garlic
- Fresh chilli
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- A splash of white wine
- Parsley
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan, if you’re that way inclined
For cooking the yabbies, you can also add a few peppercorns, a bay leaf, vinegar and some lemon to the pot to give them a bit of extra flavour, or you can just do it the traditional way with a stack of salt.
How to make it
Get a big pot of water going and add your aromatics - a bit of lemon, peppercorns, vinegar and a bay leaf if you’ve got them. Once it’s boiling, cook the yabbies until they turn that classic orange-red colour. Cool them down, peel the meat out, and try not to eat half of it while you’re standing there.
In another pot, cook your pasta until it’s just right. Don’t murder it — this isn’t school camp spaghetti.
While that’s happening, heat some olive oil in a big pan and add the chilli, garlic and a bit of lemon zest. Let it all wake up, but don’t burn the garlic or you’ll be starting again and pretending you meant to do it that way.
Add the yabbie meat, give it a quick toss, then splash in some white wine and lemon juice. Let it all come together for a minute or two.
Throw in the pasta, toss it through the sauce, season with salt and pepper, then finish with chopped parsley and a bit of parmesan.
My Mildura note
This is the sort of dish that feels right at home in Sunraysia - local yabbies, citrus, wine, a bit of heat, and a meal that works just as well at home as it would down by the river.
You don’t need to overthink it. Good ingredients, a hot pan, and don’t be stingy with the garlic. That’s about it.
And yes — if there are leftover yabbies, they’re still going on white bread the next day.
