‘Anything can be edible’: how Italians are making a meal of invasive crabs

Blue crabs with no natural predators have been disrupting prized shellfish populations on Italy's coast. So revenge is on the menu

In a down-to-earth suburb of Catania on Sicily's east coast, smoke billows from street stands selling traditional grilled horse meat, and local youngsters gather around kiosks selling the region's unique handmade drink, seltz limone e sale (seltzer with lemon and sea salt). It is here that a family of charismatic ex-fishers have opened a seafood restaurant that bravely challenges long-held regional conventions.

The Salamone family sell all the usual local specialities in their slick new business La Fish", such as Sicily's famous swordfish, sardines and tuna. However, the feature of tonight's tasting menu - attracting customers who range from local families to food connoisseurs - is a relative newcomer to these shores and to Sicilian tables: the Atlantic blue crab.