Ingredients
Method
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- pinch ground cumin
- Oyster sauce
- Tamarind
- 2 Lime leaves
- pinch coriander seeds
- 200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
- 200g/7oz crayfish, cooked
- Shells and claws from above Crayfish
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or spring onions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan, place the garlic, onion and cumin into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
- In a separate large saucepan fry the Crayfish shells along with the coriander seeds.
- Add the coconut milk over the shells and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Strain the simmering Coconut sauce into the Garlic, onions and cumin.
- Add the Oyster sauce, Tamarind and lime leaves to the sauce and simmer gently while you prepare the Tempura.
- While you fry your Tempura add your peeled Crayfish to the sauce to heat through.
Crayfish tempura
Ingredients
-
100g Self-raising Flour
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6 tbsp chilled sparkling water
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1 tsp salt
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1 x Ice cube
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1 tsp Black onion seeds (Nigella seeds)
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300ml vegetable oil for deep frying
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6 Cooked Peeled Signal Crayfish (per person)
Preparation method
1. For the Tempura, place the flour, black onion seeds and salt into a large mixing bowl. Lightly combine the dry mix then add the ice cube and chilled sparkling water 100ml at a time, whisk together to make a thick batter.
2. Place the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat to 170c or until a small cube of bread sizzles and turns golden when dropped into it.
3. Dust the peeled Crayfish in seasoned flour then dip them into the batter to coat, then carefully place them into the oil. Deep-fry until golden-brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt if required.
To serve spoon the Crayfish curry onto a bed of plain boiled rice. Then sprinkle on some roughly chopped coriander or spring onions and finely diced tomatoes. Finally gently place your crispy Crayfish Tempura over the top and serve.
Ingredients
2 tbsp of olive oil
175g chorizo cut into sliced
4 chicken thighs, de-boned, cut in half
1kg mussels
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 garlic bulbs
1/2 tsp of dried flakes
2 red peppers
400g paella rice (if not long grain is ok)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground Tumeric
150 ml white wine
1 Lemon
Lemmon zest
3 liters chicken stock ( fish or chicken stock cubes will be ok)
100g pack of frozen peas
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
40 Signal Crayfish peeled and ready to go (Supplied by me as secret ingredient)
Whole cooked unpeeled Signal Crayfish for show Supplied)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation method
Heat half the olive oil in a paella dish or large heavy-based pan over a medium heat, add the chorizo and fry for 2-3 minutes, then remove and set aside.
Add the chicken pieces to the same pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the skin is browned. Remove and set aside.
Add the tomatoes to the paella pan and fry with the onion, garlic, chilli flakes and the red pepper. Cook slowly until the onion has softened and all the ingredients are combined.
Add the rice to the pan, stirring well to coat it in the oil, for two minutes, then add turmeric, peas, paprika, white wine, lemon juice and prepared stock. Bring the pan to a rolling boil.
Add the fried chicken and chorizo, cover with a foil and simmer gently for fifteen minutes.
Now scatter the crayfish, prawns and mussels over the top of the Paella, recover and simmer for 10 minutes to ensure the mussels open wide.(discard any mussels that have not opened).
Remove the foil from the pan and sprinkle over the parsley and lemon zest.
Decorate with the whole Crayfish and serve.
This delicious ravioli dish, using homemade pasta, would make an impressive starter at a dinner party.
Ingredients
- For the crayfish filling
-
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40 cooked crayfish tails (reserve 12 crayfish tails for the ravioli)
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50ml/2fl oz double cream
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30ml/1fl oz fish stock
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1 tsp finely chopped fresh fennel
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1 free-range egg
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½ tsp anchovy paste
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¼ tsp red chilli paste
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squeeze lime juice
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- For the pasta
- For the crayfish sauce
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knob of butter
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2 tbsp olive oil
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cooked crayfish claws (containing claw meat), from crayfish (see above)
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1 onion, peeled, chopped
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1 carrot, chopped
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1 tbsp tomato purée
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75ml/3fl oz brandy
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300ml/10fl oz fish stock
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150ml/5fl oz double cream
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Method
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For the crayfish filling, blend 28 of the crayfish in a food processor to a paste. Transfer the blended crayfish to a bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 5 minutes.
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Stir the double cream into the blended crayfish, then stir in the remaining filling ingredients until smooth and well combined. Chill in the fridge until needed.
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For the pasta, place the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Beat the egg yolks and egg together and pour into the well. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together as a dough.
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Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5-6 minutes (the dough should be quite stiff and hard to knead at this stage).
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Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes to rest.
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Cut the chilled dough into two pieces. Flatten each piece with a rolling pin then roll to a 0.5cm/¼in thickness.
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Flour a pasta machine and set it to its widest setting. Pass one sheet of pasta through the machine. Fold in half and re-roll on the same setting. Repeat the process seven times on the same setting.
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Decrease the setting by one notch and repeat the rolling and folding process.
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Repeat the process until the pasta is smooth and has been rolled through the machine’s narrowest setting.
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Repeat the process with the other piece of pasta dough.
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For the ravioli, cut each pasta sheet into six squares. Place one dessertspoonful of the crayfish filling mixture onto one of the pasta squares. Top with two of the reserved crayfish tails. Place another spoonful of the filling mixture on top. Repeat the process with five more of the pasta squares.
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Moisten the pasta surrounding the crayfish filling with a little water. Lay one of the remaining squares of pasta over the top of each ravioli. Press down at the edges to seal, pushing out any air bubbles. Using a 10cm/4in pasta stamp or pastry cutter, cut out each ravioli and discard the excess pasta.
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Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Cook the ravioli for 3-5 minutes, or until al dente (they will float to the surface of the water when ready). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
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For the crayfish sauce, heat the butter and oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
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Remove the meat from the reserved smashed crayfish claws and set aside.
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Add the empty crayfish claws to the pan and fry over a high heat for 2-3 minutes.
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Add the vegetables and fry for a further 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and fry for 4-5 minutes more.
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Add the brandy to the pan. Light the brandy in the pan with a match. Allow the flames to flare up and die down. (Caution: keep the pan well away from your face and hair.)
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Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
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Add the fish stock, bring to a simmer and simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by half.
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Strain the sauce mixture through a fine sieve into a clean pan, discarding the claws and vegetables. Bring the sauce to the boil then stir in the cream and cook until warmed through.
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Just before serving, shred the cooked crayfish claw meat.
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To serve, pour two ladlefuls of the crayfish sauce into each of two serving bowls. Arrange three ravioli in each bowl. Garnish with the shredded claw meat.
Ingredients
1 jointed and boned rabbit (most butchers will do this)
4 skinless chicken thighs
30 cooked & peeled signal crayfish (reserve the shells but not heads)
200g Medium Chorizo, sliced into rounds
Salt and black pepper
4 rashers of smoked streaky Bacon cut into small pieces
1 tsp smoked Paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp curry Powder
1 tsp ground Turmeric
2 tbsp plain flour
1 chorizo, sliced
Grated parmesan
1 beef tomato
Olive oil
4 finely chopped cloves of garlic
12 whole small onions
Unsalted butter
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Juice of 1 lime
2 litres chicken stock
250ml dry white wine
French bread cut in rounds
Method
1. Slice chorizo into slightly angled 5mm thick pieces.
2. Gently dry fry the sliced chorizo to extract the oils.
3. Remove and reserve leaving the extracted oil in the pan.
4. Mix the paprika, cumin seeds, ground cumin, coriander seeds, curry powder & ground
turmeric into a dry mix.
5. Cut the rabbit into pieces (bite size) and dust with the dry spice mix then gently fry.
When this is done remove and fry the chicken (spice mix not needed for chicken).
Fry until lightly browned (2 minutes). Remove and reserve.
6. Lastly toss in the whole onions and streaky bacon, until lightly browned.
Remove and reserve.
7. Make basic rue by combining the butter and flour.
(This thickening can be done with corn
flour and water if you prefer).
8. Place the chicken stock, wine and crayfish shells into frying pan and simmer for 10
minutes.
9. Sieve out crayfish shells, add garlic and tin of tomatoes then season with salt and black
pepper. Thicken broth with the rue or corn flour mix.
10.Place the rabbit, chicken, chorizo, onions and bacon in deep casserole dish making
sure you mix them all well. (NOT THE CRAYFISH)
11.Gently pour the broth into the casserole dish making sure it submerges everything and
cover with lid.
12.Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours at 140C.
13.When you have 15 minutes cooking time left remove from oven and gently stir in
peeled crayfish tails and squeezed lime juice.
14.Cut your French bread into enough rounds to cover top of casserole.Lightly brush one side of each with olive oil.
15.Now gently push each round of bread, oil side up, into casserole then lift, flip over and
push back into casserole oil side now down.
16.Place a thin slice of beef tomato on top of each round lightly sprinkle with grated
parmesan.
17.Return to oven with no lid at higher temp of 200C until cheese has melted and golden.
Best served with big French flat fried potatoes and a cold glass of dry white wine