LOBSTER IN AN ORANGE AND DILL SAUCE

This recipe was first published on 1st October 2000 - it has now been updated and additional information added. The recipe now shows how to use cooked or uncooked Crayfish.

I thought a little decadence was in order and after requests for a lobster dish, I guess I am not the only one!

In my cooking tips section this week you will find pointers to consider when purchasing your fresh shellfish <click here>, but lets get on with the cooking . . .

Lobster in an orange and dill sauce (using cooked Crayfish flesh)

Ingredients

Rock lobster or New Zealand crayfish (750gm)	1		pc
Court bouillon:
Water	2		lt
Onion	1		pc
Celery stalk	1		pc
Carrot	1		pc
White vinegar	50		ml
Sauce:
Orange juice (fresh)	400		ml
Fresh dill			sq
Arrowroot			sq

How to make Lobster in an orange and dill sauce

Making a court bouillon

• Peel and roughly chop the court bouillon vegetables and place in a large pot

• Add the water and vinegar (dill, fennel or other herbs may also be added at this stage)

• Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes

• Remove from the heat and allow to cool

  Cooking the crayfish

• When cool, place the crayfish in the court bouillon and bring slowly to a boil, simmer for approx. 20 minutes

• Remove the crayfish and allow to cool

  Making the sauce (complete while the crayfish is cooking)

• Gently cook the shallots in a little butter

• Pour in the Grand Marnier and carefully ignite to flambé (this will burn off the alcohol content but retain the flavour)

• Add the orange juice and simmer until reduced by half

• Mix the arrowroot (approx. 1 tbs) with a little water and gradually stir into sauce while stirring briskly until lightly thickened

• Add the cooked crayfish medallions to re-heat

• Add the chopped dill and stir through the sauce, place back into the inverted tail and serve immediately

Chef's Tip

To remove the cooked flesh:

• Carefully cut through the membrane between the head/body and tail

• Gently pull the whole tail away from the body

• Carefully cut through the belly on each side, from top to 'tail' and discard the thin belly shell

• Remove the flesh and cut into neat, thick slices (medallions)

• Turn the tail upside down and insert back into the head/body to make a receptacle for the cooked flesh

On cooking crayfish

Placing live crayfish in cold court bouillon (or salted water) achieves three important points:

• It kills the crayfish in a humane manner
• It gently cooks the flesh; plunging into boiling liquid will shock the flesh and toughen it
• It keeps the legs attached to the body, plunging into boiling liquid will shock the flesh and cause them to fall off

Crayfish in a an orange and dill sauce (using raw crayfish flesh)

This dish is simplicity itself, but produces a wonderfully light dish. The orange and dill compliments lobster / New Zealand Crayfish so well and will not mask the wonderful shellfish flavour.

Ingredients

Rock lobster / New Zealand crayfish (750gm)	1	pc
finely chopped shallots	1	tbs
Grand Marnier	50	ml
orange juice (fresh)	400	ml
arrowroot or cornflour		sq
fresh dill		sq

Method

Preparing the crayfish

• Carefully cut through the membrane between the head/body and tail and gently pull the whole tail away from the body

• Carefully cut through the soft belly attached to the shell on each side, from top to 'tail' and discard the thin belly shell

• Remove the flesh from the tail and cut into neat, thick slices (medallions)

  Cooking the crayfish

• Gently cook the shallots in a little butter

• Add the crayfish medallions, pour in the Grand Marnier and carefully ignite to flambé (this will burn off the alcohol content but retain the flavour)

• Add the orange juice and simmer until reduced by half (if the crayfish cooks before the reduction is complete remove, set aside and place back into the finished sauce to re-heat)

• Mix the arrowroot (approx. 1 tbs) with a little water and gradually stir into sauce while stirring briskly until lightly thickened

• Add the chopped dill and stir through the sauce, place back into the inverted tail and serve immediately

Chef's Tip

Using arrowroot will not affect the colour of the sauce and keeps its bright transparency. But if over thickened it will go stringy and gelatinous and cannot be thinned down, so care must be taken.

Using cornflour will not let the sauce go stringy and gelatinous, however it will affect the colour of the sauce by adding a whiteness to it and it will lose its transparency.

Chef's terminology:
	lt	=	litres		tsp	=	teaspoon
	ml	=	millelitres		tbs	=	tablespoon
	kg	=	kilograms		sq	=	sufficient quantity (add to taste)
	gm	=	grams		pc	=	piece, meaning a whole one of

Enjoy and bon appetit . . .

Recipe from professional
Chef Tallyrand