Crayfish Mornay on a Bed of Rice

 

 

Easter is once again upon us.  Notwithstanding its religious significance and the obsession on all things chocolate, Australians like to feast on seafood during the holiday weekend with our beloved crayfish (Western Rock Lobster) being one of the most popular.  This is a simple recipe using cooked crays.  Don't be intimidated if you've never shelled a cray before, it's not difficult and I've included instructions below.  The classic French Lobster Thermidor is served with sliced lobster meat stuffed in its shell, topped with a creamy white wine sauce, sprinkled with cheese and broiled.  Fancy, but a little finicky for the home cook. For my Crayfish Mornay, I stir the cheese and meat into the sauce in the pan, transfer the mixture to a shallow casserole dish to be put under the grill, then spoon individual portions over beds of rice.  Much easier to do and decadently satisfying as a meal.  Serve with mesclun (small young salad greens) or rocket leaves on the side. 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cooked whole crayfish
• 50g / 2oz butter
• ¼ cup plain flour
• ⅓ cup white wine
• 2 cups milk
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
• sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or chives
• 3 cups cooked rice, to be served warm
• mesclun or rocket leaves, to serve

METHOD

1. Remove meat from the crayfish.*  Slice tail meat into medallions.
2. Heat butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat until foaming.  Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture bubbles.  Remove pan from heat.
3. Gradually add the wine and then the milk, whisking with a wire whisk constantly until the mixture is smooth and combined.
4. Place pan back over medium heat and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce boils and thickens.  Add the cheese and stir until it melts.
5. Stir in the crayfish meat and most of the chopped parsley or chives.  Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Transfer crayfish mixture to a medium-size, shallow casserole dish.  Cook under preheated grill for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from heat.
7. Spoon crayfish mixture onto individual serving plates over beds of warm rice.  Sprinkle remaining chopped parsley or chives on top.  Serve with mesclun or rocket leaves on the side.

*How to remove meat from a cooked crayfish:

1. Separate the tail from the head by holding the tail in one hand and the head in the other then twisting the tail to pull it away from the head.  As crayfish are spiky you might want to wear kitchen gloves or use a clean tea towels to get a good grip. 
2. Use kitchen scissors to cut along the underside of the tail to extract the tail meat in one piece. 
3. Remove the intestinal tract that runs along the length of the tail meat.  
4. Twist and pull away the large pincers from the head.  Tap them with a kitchen mallet to crack the shells and carefully pull out the flesh inside.
5. Twist and pull away the slender legs.  Break them in halves and pull the flesh out.