WHITBY CRAB AND SHALLOT RAVIOLI
Ingredients for 4 people
For the pasta:
2 egg yolks
200g pasta flour
40 g fresh spinach
Fine salt
Extra virgin olive oil
METHOD
In a blender place the raw spinach, flour, a pinch of salt and a splash of olive and blitz until the flour is a homogeneous green.
Add the egg yolks and blitz to a rough dough. Remove from the blender and work on a floured surface until the mix become elastic and bouncy.
Wrap in cling film and rest for 30 min in a cool place.
For the filling:
(This will make 4 large ravioli for a main course per each person)
170 g white crab meat
20 g ricotta
Half shallot finely chopped and softened in butter
Half a tbsp. brandy
1 tbsp. chopped chives
1 egg yolk
70g Butter
4 tbsp. Parmesan
METHOD
In a large bowl mix all the above ingredients, mix well and check seasoning.
If the mix results too wet add some bread crumbs( but make sure the mix remains nice and soft).
Weigh each ravioli portion to 18 g and keep them in a tray while you pull the pasta.
HOW TO PULL THE PASTA
There are 2 ways to pull the pasta by hand, or with the pasta maker
BY HAND
1)Get the equivalent of half of the dough and form with your hands a regular ball, flattened it with the rolling pin in a lightly floured surface
2)Starting always from the centre pull with the rolling pin in all directions and turning it and rotating it by 90 degrees keeping it as round as possible until you get the desired thickness (usually not more than 2 mm).
3)Make sure very scanty amount of flour are used on the surface in order not to dry the pasta and also work swiftly for the same reason.
BY MACHINE
1)Get the equivalent of half of the dough and form with your hands a regular ball flattened it with the rolling pin in a lightly floured surface.
2)Pass the dough on the lower dial of the machine
3)Repeat the above and fold the dough in two and pass it though the machine again until the dough is perfectly smooth.
4)At this point start to tighten the dial (from 1 to 6) and pull the pasta until you achieve the wanted thickness.
When you have pulled the pasta, cut 16 rounds of 10 cm diameter from the trips .With a pastry brush wet the pasta with water, then apply in the centre of each round a 18 g filling and fold it.
In a large pan of boiling water plunge the ravioli and cook not more than 4 minutes.
With a slotted spoon carefully collect the ravioli from the water place then in a large plate, and dress with melted butter, dress with some chopped chives and a sprinkle of Parmigiano
Serve at once
DD