Crayfish Ravioli With A Bisque Sauce

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Tandy

Like most countries in the world where commercial fishing exists, the recreational fisherman is the one to suffer from a lack of fish close inshore and from the fact that the commercial fisherman get the majority of what is available in our seas. This is a two sided coin for us as a lot of our friends are commercial fisherman, and they rely on quota’s and the weather for their income. At the same time, we fish for recreational purposes. 30 minutes by sea from Gordons Bay where we live is a bay full of crayfish. The commercial fisherman can go everyday and take out crayfish much smaller than the recreational permit allows. Ten years ago, the season for the recreational catchers was from the 15th of November, everyday until the end of January, and then weekends and public holidays, until the end of April. This year our recreational season opens on the 15th of November and we can go out everyday (weather permitting of course) until the 15th of January, and then we can only go out again over the Easter weekend. We are allowed four crayfish per person on the boat, with a maximum of 5 people per boat. So, we can basically catch 20 crayfish per trip. We are allowed out once per day with time constraints. The license for catching crayfish is extremely cheap (R94 – less than €10) but there are costs involved in going out fishing, which means that even though we have easy access to this luxury, it is not a cheap meal. It is however cheaper than if we were to buy the crayfish that the commercial fisherman catch – and they come back with thousands a day. When the season was longer I used crayfish in my macaroni and cheese but now, I take care to make a special meal with the crayfish. This is one of those meals. You can substitute the crayfish for any shell fish, so use whatever is easily accessible to you.

CRAYFISH RAVIOLI WITH A BISQUE SAUCE

ingredients:

for the pasta:

200g pasta flour

2 eggs

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons tomato purée

for the filling:

meat from 2 crayfish tails

10g parsley, chopped

1 small chilli, seeds removed

1 egg yolk (keep the white for sealing the ravioli)

salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

for the bisque sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots, diced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 carrot, cut in a small dice

2 crayfish tail shells

60mls white wine

125mls stock

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, sliced

½ cup water

1 tablespoon cream

method:

for the pasta:

mix the ingredients to form a dough and knead for 10 minutes

add more flour if too sticky, and water if too dry

roll into a ball, cover with clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour

roll the dough out to number 6 on a pasta machine

cut out your ravioli shapes ready for the filling

lightly dust with flour

for the filling:

place all the ingredients into a blender and mix into a smooth mousse

to make the ravioli:

place one teaspoon of the mousse in the centre of each disc

lightly beat the egg white and brush along the edge of the disc

place a second disc on top of the disc that has filling on it

seal properly, ensuring you get all the air out

cook in boiling salted water for 3 minutes once you have added the cream to the sauce

for the bisque sauce:

heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the shallots, celery and carrots

allow onions to soften

add the shells to the pan

when the shells change colour add the wine and the stock

leave to simmer until the sauce has reduced by half

allow to cool and blitz the ingredients until they are well blended

put the teaspoon of oil into the pan

soften the garlic and add back the crayfish mix

add the water and bring to the boil

pass the ingredients through a chinois

clean out the pan and add the sauce back

leave to simmer for 5 minutes

add the cream and allow to thicken

I served the dish with grilled courgettes and micro leaves

CRAYFISH RAVIOLI WITH A BISQUE SAUCE PRINTABLE VERSION

I am submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by Emma of Soupier

Tandy

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Sous Vide Crayfish Tails

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Tandy

Cindy came to visit and while she sat in the lounge, Dave and I were in the kitchen discussing how to go about cooking the crayfish for the bisque. I had some left over stock from when I first made the bisque, but of course, it needed the actual crayfish. So I suggested to Dave that we sous vide the tails. Sous vide is French for “under vacuum” and is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath at a temperature much lower than normally used for cooking. The intention is to cook the item evenly, not overcook the outside while still keeping the inside at the same ‘doneness’ and to keep the food juicier.

Cindy did not hear what we were saying and so she asked us how on earth would we SUV crayfish! No 4×4 methods are used here – and you do not need a fancy vacuum sealer or water bath as you see the chefs using on TV. You will however need a ziploc bag, a straw, and a candy thermometer.

This method in my opinion is one of the nicest ways to cook the crayfish if you are not going to grill them over an open fire. I am sure you will have as much success with prawns, fish or even meat. I think what counts the most here is that you cook it low and slow, and that you add a great flavour base to your bag to infuse what ever you decide to cook.

SOUS VIDE CRAYFISH TAILS

ingredients:

small handful of fresh thyme

rind of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, lightly crushed

2 crayfish tails

salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

method:

place the thyme, lemon rind and garlic into a small Ziploc bag

season the crayfish tails and place them into the bag

place a straw into the bag and leave enough of it sticking out for you to suck on

seal the Ziploc bag as much as you can around the straw

suck out as much air as you can before removing the straw and sealing the bag

bring a pot half filled with water up to 70° Celsius – on a low heat setting

put the Ziploc bag into the water for 20 minutes

make sure the tails are cooked before you serve them but this should be enough time

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Tandy

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Cindy’s Crayfish Curry

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Tandy

I just love mystery ingredients! I think I would do well in a mystery box challenge (which gives me an idea…) but, back to the challenge Cindy gave me. She gifted me these three mystery ingredients:

The kaffir lime leaves were used with hake and the next challenge was to make use of the ajmo. I had never heard of these before, and google was not being very helpful and so I turned to my curry book and looked at every single picture until I came across what ajmo really is. They are carom seeds. These are closely related to cumin, which it resembles in appearance and fragrance. Carom seeds (ajowan) have a hot and bitter taste. However, when they are cooked with other ingredients, the flavour mellows. Carom seeds are particularly good in seafood dishes and with root vegetables.

CINDY’S CRAYFISH CURRY

ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 onion, finely sliced

1 chilli, cut in half

shells and meat of 2 crayfish tails

1 tablespoon soy oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1cm root ginger, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

1t carom seeds

1 teaspoon masala

200mls coconut cream

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon chilli flakes

1teaspoon fish sauce

3 kaffir lime leaves

method:

using a large sauté pan, heat the coconut oil

add the onion and sauté until soft

add the chilli and the shells of the crayfish

add the soya oil, the garlic and the ginger

when the shells are a deep red colour remove them

add the cumin, turmeric, carom seeds and the masala

when you can smell the spices add the coconut cream

add the salt, the chilli flakes, the fish sauce and the lime leaves

remove the chilli and allow the sauce to thicken

cut the crayfish meat into chunks and cook in the sauce for 4 minutes

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Tandy

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Crayfish Curry With Poppy Seeds

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Tandy

It sounds so wonderful to be thought of as the first South African Master Chef. Ben introduced me as a possible contender for the South African production when I cooked with Jonathan Daddia. For those of you who have watched or are watching, Jonathan is a contender for Master Chef Australia season 2. I love the idea of competing but it could never be a reality. I cannot imagine living in a house with 23 other people. Just living with Dave is enough. And then actually sharing a room and sleeping in a single bed in a dorm style room. Oh, and did I mention sharing a bathroom with strangers? Can you imagine how my OCD personality when it comes to cleanliness could be freaked out by a stray hair, or sock! I am a neat freak in the kitchen and my cupboards and fridge are super organized. I am even tempted to sort my friends fridges out for them when I visit. I do not like mess! I would miss my routine, my dogs and most of all, I would miss my husband! I do not like to share some things, but the one thing I do share is recipe ideas. The first time I came across poppy seeds in a dish I liked, was at Pomegranate and I have shared the idea of using poppy seeds in my crayfish curry.

CRAYFISH CURRY WITH POPPY SEEDS

ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

1 2.5cm piece root ginger, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 chilli, deseeded and chopped

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon cardamom pods

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

125grosatomatoes, halved

1 tin coconut cream

2 crayfish tails, cut into chunks

salt for seasoning

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Small handful of fresh coriander, chopped

method:

heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan and add the onion

sauté until soft and then add the ginger, garlic and chilli

add the canola oil to ensure the onions do not colour

in a pestle and mortar, blend the cardamom, coriander, cloves, cumin and turmeric

add to the onions and as soon as you can smell the spices, add the tomatoes

when the tomatoes start cooking add the coconut cream

allow the coconut cream to come to a gentle boil

add the crayfish and adjust the seasoning

add the poppy seeds

as soon as the crayfish is cooked, mix through the coriander

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Tandy

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Poached Crayfish

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Tandy

served with coppa, candied clemengolds and a tarragon mayonnaise

Well, if I had a restaurant this is how the starter would appear on my menu. Don’t get me wrong, I am not hankering to be a restaurant owner at all. After 8 years of the industry as a profession, I do not long for the hours. I have done my fair share of 18 hour shifts. I have opened at 8am and closed at 6am. I have dealt with rude and ignorant customers, staff complications and even owners who are clueless about the industry. I have worked in the kitchen, the bar, as a waitress, a cashier, and as a manager. I spent time in a relationship with a restaurant owner and it can be hell. Customers who don’t leave, or customers who don’t tip! Customers who treat the waitresses like shyte and others who think it is their right to complain.

But, if I won the BIG lotto I would open a delicatessen. It would be based on the ones I have seen in Europe and it would offer all sorts of delights. Home made mayonnaise, fresh herbs, fine cured products, delicacies and home baked and home cooked meals. I would have to have a sausage counter, and a cheese counter and a bakery …. See, this is why I need to win the lotto. This is the type of take home dish I would include, beautifully poached crayfish, freshly made mayonnaise and the soft, delicate taste of coppa. I would offer all sorts of citrus fruits lightly candied, and the fresh fruits sitting alongside them.

POACHED CRAYFISH

Served with coppa, candied clemengolds and a tarragon mayonnaise

ingredients:

6 slices of coppa, for serving

1 stalk of tarragon picked, to be added to 2 teaspoons of the mayonnaise

for the poached crayfish:

the peel of one clemengold – save the segments

2 tarragon stalks

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

500mls vegetable stock

2 crayfish tails, cleaned

for the candied clemengolds:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 clemengold, peeled, segmented and pith discarded

for the tarragon mayonnaise

1 large egg

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar

300mls canola oil

method:

for the poached crayfish:

place the peel, coriander seeds, tarragon and stock into a pan

bring to a boil

tie the two crayfish tails together to ensure the keep their shape or place a skewer through them to hold their shape

reduce the heat and poach for 4 minutes

remove and set aside

for the candied clemengolds:

add the sugar and the water to a small pan

when the sugar has dissolved add the coriander and the clemengold segments

allow to simmer for 25 minutes

remove and leave to cool on parchment paper

for the tarragon mayonnaise

for stick blender:

place all of the ingredients into the blending container

blend slowly making sure the mayonnaise forms at the bottom of the container before lifting the mixer

for rotary beaters:

beat the egg, salt and pepper until the egg is frothy

slowly add the oil until it begins to thicken

then add the vinegar

continue to add the oil slowly until it reaches the right consistency

once you have made the mayonnaise take 2 tablespoons and mix in the tarragon

cooks notes: you can use any oil you like for the mayonnaise, I just prefer to use Canola for the taste. Grapeseed or olive oil or a combination is also good. You may have seen the recipe for the stick blender elsewhere on the blogs. I developed this recipe over 20 years ago and had never seen it before. This was published in Lavender and Lime in 2010.

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I have chosen ClemenGolds for this recipe so that I could enter it into the Woolworths competition.

Tandy

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Crayfish Curry

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Tandy

I love the scent of spices slowly warming in a pan. They remind me of walking through the Souk in Jerusalem. When I was 16 a group of friends and I went to experience the wonders of the Holy Land. Cooking was not on the agenda, and as it was not something I loved or wanted to do, the Souk was a sight experience, not a shopping experience. I was fortunate enough to visit the spice Souk in Dubai and that was all about shopping. I went to spend the millennium in Dubai, with one of my oldest and closest friends. She was working there, and I went to see her and the country. It was the middle of Ramadan and so the Souk’s were open late and we could walk through at night. The sights were something to behold and as I type this I regret not having taken photographs of the colours of the spices laid out for people to buy. I bought some saffron and I still to this day look for the same packaging, as I know the quality was excellent. I usually make my curry blends fresh and if you have the time, do so yourself as well.

CRAYFISH CURRY

ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 piece ginger (2.5cm), peeled and finely chopped

1 teaspoon curry powder (add more if you prefer your curry hot)

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced

1 small handful fresh coriander, chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

1 star anise

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ cup white wine

salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

½ cup water (if needed)

2 crayfish tails, sliced

method:

in a pan, heat your oil

sauté the onion until soft

add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and chilli and cook until you can smell the spices

add the coriander, paprika, star anise and cumin

once you can smell the spices, add the white wine

cook until the alcohol has burnt off

add the seasoning and loosen the sauce with water if necessary

add the crayfish and cook until done (about 5 minutes)

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Tandy

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Bloody Mary Pasta

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Tandy

My time is really important to me. I know the saying goes “time is money” but I don’t see a waste of time as a waste of money. I merely see it as a waste of time! I value my time and try to ensure that I give it the respect it deserves. If I make an arrangement to see someone I will always arrive early. If I make an appointment with a service provider I always ensure I get there with time to spare. I never cancel arrangements at the last minute unless a crisis has arisen that cannot be avoided. I get frustrated when traffic jams delay me as I will run late through no fault of my own. I allow extra time to get somewhere and always ensure I leave for my destination earlier than necessary. This same philosophy falls over into my kitchen. I do not like following recipes that are not accurate – they waste time. Or recipes that do not work. So, when I write a recipe down I try to pay particular attention to each detail and ingredient in order not to waste the time of the person trying the recipe. I also like to make dinner in an hour – no rushing through the process but if I start cooking at 18h00 we can eat at 19h00. This is important as time seems endless during the summer months when the sun sets after 21h00 and the days oh so shorter when the sun has set by the time I get into the kitchen. My pasta dishes are a time winner as they take about 30 minutes each from start to eating – and when you are rushed for time, this is a blessing!

BLOODY MARY PASTA

ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large tomatoes, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

1 tablespoon tomato paste

pinch of chilli flakes

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

2 crayfish tails, chopped

1 tablespoon Vodka

1 small handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnishing

method:

while your pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan

add the tomatoes and season well

add the tomato paste, chilli flakes and Worcestershire sauce

when the tomatoes are soft add the crayfish

as soon as it is cooked add the Vodka

toss your pasta through the sauce and garnish with the parsley

Printable Version

I am submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by the Kitchen Alchemist

Tandy

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Crayfish Goulash

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Tandy

According to my Larousse, goulash is a Hungarian beef soup named after the keepers of the Magyar oxen (gulyas). The origin of this dish which is now made with onions and paprika and garnished with potatoes, dates back to the 9th Century, before the foundation of the Hungarian state, when nomadic tribes prepared a meal that was in keeping with their way of life. At that time goulash consisted of chunks of meat stewed slowly until the cooking liquid completely boiled away. The meat was dried in the sun to be used later to prepare a stew or a soup by boiling it in water.

Traditionally, goulash is made in a special cauldron (bogracs). There are a number of regional variants of the recipe according to the cut of beef and the cooking fat used, but purists agree that goulash should not include flour or wine, nor should soured cream be added just before serving. Hungarians regard Viennese goulash as a flour-thickened version of genuine goulash soup; in Hungary the latter is sometimes served with potatoes and small quenelles of egg pasta, poached in stock.

I was given a bag of paprika from my friend after their visit to Hungary and knew that I had to use it straight away. We did not have any beef out of the freezer, but as our local ingredient is the crayfish we catch ourselves, I could see no reason why not to substitute the beef for crayfish.

recipe adapted from Larousse

ingredients:

50g butter

125g onions, peeled and sliced into rings

250g tomatoes, peeled and seeded and cut into quarters

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 bouquet garni

1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika

400g potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

500mls stock

2 crayfish tails, sliced

method:

melt the butter in a casserole dish

add the onions and cook until soft

add the tomatoes, garlic, bouquet garni, paprika and potatoes

cover with the vegetable stock and season

bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft

add the crayfish tails and increase the heat and bring back to the boil

adjust the seasoning and serve very hot

Tandy

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Crayfish Pasta

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Tandy

When Dave and I moved to Gordons Bay we were really struggling. We were lucky enough to be invited to join someone crayfishing and this became our standard protein of choice. Crayfish as eaten steamed, poached, grilled, braaid and in every combination of pasta you can imagine. I made crayfish macaroni cheese on more than one occasion. Now, we go out crayfishing for the love of the water, and we have a freezer full of tails for the special meals with friends. This pasta dish is a lovely way to use your crayfish if you too have an excess of them.

ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

4 spring onions, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 chilli, left whole

125g mushrooms, sliced

2 crayfish tails, steamed and cut into thick slices

1 tablespoon cream

25g Parmesan, grated

small handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

I am submitting this recipe to: Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by Chez Cayenne

PS I know this is my second crayfish pasta submission but I am not at home and had this one ready to press!

Tandy

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Crayfish Tagine with Charaime

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Tandy

I was given an opportunity to review the online deli Diletto and the product I chose was charaime. Tomatoes, onion, garlic, sweet and hot paprika and a touch of chilli are combined to create this sauce – and given the fact it goes perfectly with fish, I chose to couple it with crayfish.