As an island nation, we should take great pride in the bountiful seafood around us. Shellfish and several tasty species of fish are abundant in our waters and have been nourishing the British population for many years.
Sadly, much of the seafood is falling out of favour and we are shipping a large proportion abroad to be sold on foreign markets. As much as 80% of British crab, for example, ends up in far flung destinations.
This of course, is a total shame because crab is insanely nutritious. Zinc, selenium, copper and B vitamins are all abundant in these tasty crustaceans plus there is plenty of protein to boot.
Above all, you can use crab meat to create delicious dishes, such as this, in 10 minutes flat.
This beautiful recipe was one that I used at the Tatton Park Food & Drink Festival and it vanished pretty quickly, so as crowd approval goes, let's just say it's a goodie.

Ingredients for 2:
160g tagliatelle
100g asparagus, sliced
150g frozen peas
100g brown and white crab meat (I used Seafood & Eat It Fifty Fifty Cornish crab from Waitrose)
25g sea vegetables (optional - I used a mix of samphire, sea aster and sea spray which I found near the herb section of Sainsbury's, they add crunch and a subtle salty flavour)
juice and zest of a lemon
1 clove of garlic, crushed
a pinch of chilli flakes
a knob of butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Bring a pan of water to the boil. Drop in the tagliatelle nests and cook according to packet instructions.
Whilst the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the asparagus, peas, garlic and chilli flakes, season well with sea salt and black pepper and cook for a few of minutes until the peas have defrosted and the asparagus is cooked.
Grate in the zest of a lemon, stir and squeeze in the juice of the lemon.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the crab meat and sea vegetables, if using, and mix well.
Once the pasta is cooked, move the tagliatelle to the pan with the crab using a slotted spoon. Add a splash of the water that the tagliatelle cooked in to loosen the crab sauce and put back on a medium heat for 30 seconds. Season with more freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.