Crayfish with coconut and crayfish both green almond and chilli
Makes 3 portions
for the soup base
1L dirty crayfish stock [see below], seasoned to taste with sea salt and white pepper
200g fresh coconut meat, cleaned weight, finely chopped in a Thermomix
Bring the stock to the boil, mix in the coconut with a stab mixer. Allow to cool sufficiently to be handled and then drain the stock into a sieve that is covered with a double layer of muslin. Squeeze out the coconut meat and refrigerate the infused stock until ready to use.
for the soup
50g diced Chinese turnip, peeled weight
20g fresh shitake mushrooms, finely sliced
3 medium oyster mushrooms, shredded
30g enoki mushrooms, rough chopped
dill sprigs
3 x 30g slices of green South Australian crayfish tail meat, each one cut into 6 pieces
3 garlic flowers..optional
6 green almonds, very finely sliced
other
3 egg yolks…minimum 61g eggs
Before finishing the soup, divide everything between the three small warmed bowls to allow it to come to room temperature. Whisk the coconut infused stock together and take out a small amount and mix the egg yolks into it. Heat the stock mass, and as soon as it comes to the boil, whisk in the egg yolks then immediately remove from the heat. Whisk the soup with a Bamix to get a good froth.
Ladle over the other ingredients and serve.
tip — you can buy frozen, cleaned and grated young coconut meat at some Asian grocers, but it is not as good as fresh.
notes — Megachef fish and oyster sauce are superior products made by traditional methods and have the baking of the guru of Thai cuisine, Australian chef David Thompson. Neither have that very unpleasant searing salt and MSG flavour of most other brands. They are expensive but the rewards are immediately evident. Once open keep them refrigerated.
dirty crayfish stock…we always skim the top perfectly clarified stock for consommés and jellies and then use the scummy bottom stock for other uses. It can be filtered and will still be good enough for beurre blanc style crayfish sauces but we learned working in New Orleans that they called this ugly bottom ‘dirty stock’ and never put it down the sink. There is was used for cooking rice which is quite incredible and also gumbos and jambalayas.