Smoked crayfish salad with asparagus and bisque dressing

19 Nov Smoked crayfish salad with asparagus and bisque dressing

6 crayfish
100ml water
20g brown sugar
20g sea salt
2 cloves
1tsp juniper berries
1 sprig thyme
60g rocket
300g asparagus, blanched
300g fine green beans
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
Serves 6

• Put the water, sugar, salt, cloves, juniper berries and thyme together in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
• Once the liquid has boiled, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Cut the crayfish lengthways down the middle, clean them and place in the cooled brine.
• Leave for 1 hour. Use this time to make the bisque dressing.
• Remove the crayfish from the brine and put into a smoker for about 10–15 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.
• Remove all of the flesh from the tails and head and keep the shells for the dressing.
• Combine the rocket, asparagus, green beans and the halved cherry tomatoes in a bowl.
• Season the salad with salt and pepper and 4 tablespoons of the bisque dressing.
• Place the dressed salad into a salad bowl and then arrange the crayfish tails on top.
• Drizzle some more of the dressing over the smoked tail meat.

Bisque Dressing

6 smoked crayfish shells
150ml extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion
1 stick celery
3 cloves garlic
2 carrots
10g tomato paste
500ml dry white wine
2L water
250ml cream
Sea salt & black pepper
Juice of 2 lemons

• Heat up a large saucepan, add the oil, heat, and throw in the crayfish heads and shells. Add roughly chopped vegetables and tomato paste and fry for 3 minutes.
• Add the wine and water.
• Bring stock to the boil and skim.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half.
• Remove from the heat and strain.

Combine the crayfish stock with cream and reduce until the cream begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Whisk in the lemon juice and olive oil and season to taste.