4 crayfish
vegetable oil
2 carrots, sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 fresh red or green chilli, sliced
30 ml cornflour
90 ml Pernod
30 ml brandy
2 litres Fish Stock
extra whipped cream and chopped fresh fennel fronds for garnish
Pull crayfish tails from bodies, cut in half and extract the meat. Devein and cut into cubes.
Rinse clean the crayfish bodies and tail shells, and chop roughly.
Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the shells, carrots, celery, tomatoes, fennel bulb and chilli fry for about 15 minutes until the shells turn deep red.
Mix together the cornflour, Pernod, brandy and fish stock, add to the pot, cover and simmer for about 50 minutes. Drain through a sieve into a clean saucepan.
Add the cream and chopped crayfish meat and simmer for 1-2 minutes until cooked.
Ladle bisque into warm bowls and garnish with whipped cream and chopped fennel.
Serves 6
Oriental Scampi with Black Beans
50 g dried black beans
500 g shelled scampi or small prawns
11/2 small onion, finely chopped vegetable oil
100 g fresh bean sprouts
2 carrots, cut into julienne strips
2 courgettes, cut into julienne strips
1 rib celery, cut into julienne strips
5 ml finely chopped green ginger
30 ml teriyaki sauce
15 ml finely chopped fresh lemon grass stalks, or 2 ml dried lemon grass
1/4 fresh red or green chilli, chopped hot rice and deep fried rice noodles sesame seeds for garnish
Soak the black beans overnight in cold water. Drain.
In a non-stick frying pan fry the scampi with the onion in hot oil for 1 minute.
Add the bean sprouts, carrot, courgette, celery, ginger, teriyaki and chilli sauces and lemon grass and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the scampi is cooked.
Just before serving add the coriander and chilli.
To Serve: Scoop rice onto serving plates, pile on the scampi, and top with deep fried rice noodles and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Serves 4