Crayfish Cocktail Recipes

LOBSTER RECIPES - FOR COOKED LOBSTER OR CRAYFISH

Steps:

• If lobster was frozen, thaw lobster overnight in a bowl or tray (with sides to catch liquid). Drain well before use.
• Cut between head and tail: Insert a small knife at a 45 degree angle into the gap between the tail and head. Cut along the top and sides through to the middle - no need to do underneath.
• Separate head from tail: Twist the tail to separate it from the head. It will pull out meat from the head as well.
• Clean: Scrape or trim off any yellow of black residue on the end that came out of the head.
• Cut underside: Cut down both sides of the soft shell on the underside of the tail. Then peel it back like a can of sardines to reveal the lobster flesh.
• Remove flesh: Carefully remove the flesh - it should come off the shell cleanly.
• Remove poop vein - if you see a poop vein (black "string" down the back of the lobster tail meat), then carefully pull it out. If you stretch the meat out straight, you should be able to pull it out in one go. Otherwise, pick it out when you slice it. (Sometimes poop vein is thick, sometimes barely there!)
• Residual meat in head: There will be some residual meat in the head that can be used. The yellow "mustard" (called tomalley) has very intense lobstar flavour but is an acquired taste... I do not eat it!
• How to serve: Lobster tail meat can be served whole, sliced into thick or thin pieces or diced, depending on use. I do not recommend shredded as it loses juiciness.
• Make Sauce per the Dipping Sauces recipe.
• Serve alongside lobster for dipping. Either cut the lobster into bite size pieces, or serve whole for people to cut themselves. Plate it up individually or on a share platter.
• Make the Prawn Cocktail recipe but substitute prawn for lobster cut into small bite size pieces.
• Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once foamy, add garlic and cook until light golden. Remove from stove, add lemon juice and parsley.
• Serving: Pour into serving bowl and serve alongside lobster. Garnish with parsley leaves and lemon wedges.
• Eating: Let people either dip in bite size pieces or drizzle over lobster, plated up indivudually or on a share style plate. Mop plate clean with crusty bread!
• Make the sauce per the Lemon Browned Butter Sauce recipe.
• Slice the lobster into bite size pieces. Pile onto plate or arrange on indivudual plates. Sprinkle with salt (necessary as browned butter is unsalted).
• Serving: Drizzle with some browned butter, then serve more on the side. Garnish with parsley leaves and lemon wedges.
• Eating: To eat, dip or drizzle lobster with more browned butter. Mop plate clean with crusty bread!
• Blitz ingredients in a Nutribullet or small food processor until it becomes a paste. It should be smooth but a bit of courseness for texture ie don't blend into a smoothie.
• Slice lobster into bite size pieces. Arrange on indvidual plates or share plate. Drizzle little dollops of salsa verde over lobster - don't go overboard, the flavour is quite strong!
• Garnish with lemon wedges & parlsey leaves, serve.
• Place lobster in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, lemon, chives, celery, green onions, salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat.
• Split then generously butter buns or rolls. Stuff generously! Makes 2 mini brioche buns or 3 round rolls.

CRAYFISH COCKTAIL WITH HORSERADISH CREAM

Steps:

• First, make the horseradish cream by mixing together the crème fraîche, horseradish sauce and half of the lime juice. Keep the sauce covered and chill until needed.
• Take two glass serving dishes and put 1 chicory leaf in each. Finely shred the rest of the chicory and divide it between the dishes. Stone, peel and thinly slice the avocado, toss in the remaining lime juice and put on the shredded chicory. Lay the crayfish tails over the top.
• Add the horseradish cream and a light sprinkling of cayenne pepper to serve.

CRAYFISH COCKTAIL

Steps:

• For the cocktail sauce, mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces. Mix the crayfish tails into it.
• Layer all of the ingredients into cocktail glasses - the crayfish tails, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, and more cocktail sauce. Garnish with a wedge of lemon and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

CRAYFISH SALAD WITH FRENCH COCKTAIL SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Peel the grapefruit, reserving the rind for cooking the crayfish. Using a small knife, slice away the bitter pith and with it the thinnest possible layer of fruit. Cutting against the membranes, release each section of grapefruit intact; remove any seeds. Set the sections aside for the moment and, working over a bowl, squeeze as much juice from the membranes as you can, to use in the cocktail sauce; discard the membranes.
• 2. Halve, pit and peel the avocados, then rub the exposed fruit with the cut lemon to keep it from darkening. Slice each avocado half into 3 wedges and give the wedges a squirt of lemon juice.
• 3. Arrange the lettuce in an even layer in the bottom of a large shallow bowl. Mound the tomatoes in the center of the bowl and surround them with alternating slices of grapefruit and avocado. Sprinkle the tarragon over the tomatoes. Cover the salad and keep it refrigerated until serving time. (The salad can be made a couple of hours ahead of time and kept tightly covered and chilled.)
• The Crayfish:
• 1. If the crayfish are cooked and peeled, move on to the cocktail sauce. If they're live, bring 1 gallon of water to a boil in a stockpot. Add all the ingredients, return to the boil, and simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cool the crayfish in the water for 10 minutes. Drain and discard the cooking liquid.
• 2. To peel crayfish, twist off and discard the head. Peel off the upper three sections of shell, then, holding the meat in one hand and the tip of the tail in the other, squeeze the tail while pulling the meat out of the shell. The vein in the center of the crayfish should come off with the shell. If it doesn't, remove it by hand, then use your finger to rub off any yellow coral that clings to the meat. Set the crayfish aside.
• The Cocktail Sauce:
• 1. Boil the grapefruit juice until it is reduced to 2 teaspoons; cool.
• 2. Whisk the yolk, mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne together in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, add the oil in a slow stream. When the mixture is emulsified, like mayonnaise, whisk in all the other ingredients, including the cooled grapefruit juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. (The sauce can be kept in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.)
• To serve: Arrange the crayfish on the tomatoes sprinkle with almonds, and serve the sauce on the side.
• To drink: A light, dry Alsatian Gewurtztraminer or, perhaps, a Muscat Sec.