Crayfish Bisque with Pernod and Fennel

4 crayfish

vegetable oil

2 carrots, sliced

1/2rib celery, sliced

3 ripe tomatoes, quartered

2 bulbs fresh fennel, sliced

1 fresh red or green chilli, sliced

30 ml cornflour

90 ml Pernod

30 ml brandy

2 litres Fish Stock

250 ml cream

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

30 ml sweet chilli sauce

15 ml finely chopped fresh lemon grass stalks, or 2 ml dried lemon grass

60 ml chopped fresh coriander

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

Kingklip Exquise

Kingklip stuffed with crayfish in a mushroom crust with crayfish sauce

6 x 180 g portions filleted kingklip salt and milled black pepper

300 ml Fish Stock (page 209)

boiled new potatoes, blanched asparagus tips, steamed baby carrots

deep fried sliced leek and fresh dill fronds for garnish

Crayfish Stuffing

1 crayfish, 150 g-200 g

250 g button mushrooms, sliced 30 g butter

15 ml brandy

45 ml cream

Mushroom Crust

75 g butter

2 spring onions, finely sliced

200 g black mushrooms, finely chopped freshly squeezed juice of 'l2 lemon

250 ml soft wholewheat breadcrumbs 15 ml chopped fresh herbs (thyme, dill, parsley)

Crayfish Sauce

50 ml vegetable oil

5 ml chopped fresh basil

120 g Mirepoix (page ##)

60 ml tomato purée

80 ml brandy

500 ml Fish Stock (page ##)

beurre-manié (soft butter and flour mixed to a smooth paste)

Crayfish Stuffing: Cook the crayfish in boiling water for 7 minutes. Remove meat from tail and body and cut into strips. Reserve cooking liquid and shells.

In a medium saucepan sauté the mushrooms in butter until tender. Stir in the crayfish meat, add the brandy and flame. Add the cream and simmer uncovered until reduced to a binding consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Cool.

Mushroom Crust: Melt half the butter in a medium saucepan and sweat the spring onion until tender. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice and cook for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the excess liquid (retain for the sauce). Add the breadcrumbs, herbs and remaining butter.

Crayfish Sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and brown the reserved crayfish shells. Add the reserved cooking liquid, basil, mirepoix and tomato purée and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Add the brandy, flame, then simmer uncovered until reduced by half. Ad the fish stock and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, bring to t boil and whisk in sufficient beurre-manié to thicken nicely. Season with salt and pepper.

Set the oven at 220 °C. Cut pockets in the kingklip fillets and fill with stuffing. Place in a buttered casserole, season with salt and pepper and spread with mushroom crust. Add the fish stock and bake for 5-8 minutes until cooked.

To Serve: Spoon hot crayfish sauce on warm plates. Place kingklip on top and arrange vegetables around. Garnish with deep fried leek and dill. Serves 6