The Kennet Crayfish Company Ltd’s Post

Here is a recipe for Crayfish mac'n'cheese. A mac'n'cheese like you have never tasted before. Serves 4-6 Approximately 500g cooked wild Kennet crayfish meat (tail and claw), reserve the shells A little olive oil 1 red onion finely chopped Pinch of cayenne pepper 1 tbsp. tomato purée 1l milk 400g macaroni (or your choice of pasta shape) 50g butter 150ml white wine 50g plain flour 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 300g mature cheddar, grated (or a mix of any cheeses you like). Reserve enough to sprinkle on top For the garlic breadcrumbs 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2 tbsp. olive oil 50g breadcrumbs Zest of a lemon Bash all the pieces of shell with the rolling pin to break them up a bit. Heat oil in large frying pan over high heat, add onion and large pinch of salt and cook for five minutes until softened and well coloured, then add the crayfish shells and fry for a couple of minutes more. Add the cayenne pepper and tomato purée and stir to coat everything, turn the heat down to medium and add the milk. Stir well and when just coming to simmer remove from heat and set aside for 30 minutes to infuse. Meanwhile, mix the garlic, olive oil, breadcrumbs and lemon zest together with some seasoning, to make the topping. Strain the infused milk into a jug and discard the shells. Heat oven to 180*C. Boil the macaroni in salted water until it has a slight bite (around two minutes less than packet instructions), drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat until foaming, add the wine and cook for 5 minutes until the wine has reduced by half, whisk in the flour to make a sandy paste. Turn down the heat and pour the strained milk into the pan a little at a time, whisking constantly and allowing each addition of milk to be fully absorbed. Add the mustard and grated cheese. Stir well until the cheese has melted, then season to taste. Finally, stir in the crayfish meat and the cooked macaroni, making sure everything is coated in sauce. Tip into an ovenproof baking dish (or 4-6 small ones) and top with a sprinkling of grated cheese and the garlic breadcrumbs. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with a simple green salad.

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