Eastern Cray Mornay (Serves 2)

Thanks to Chef Jai Gibbons


Ingredients

  • 1 eastern crayfish
  • 500mls full cream milk
  • 40g butter
  • 40g flour
  • 100g sharp cheddar cheese
  • Chives (finely sliced and stems set aside for sauce)
  • Bay leaves
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Optional-
  • Chips/roast potatoes
  • Fresh salad (Radicchio, radish, rocket, fennel etc)

 

Method

Mornay sauce

Put milk to a small pot with 2 bay leaves and the bottom part of the chives, add to the heat and slowly bring up till simmering. Turn the heat off and let it infuse. Strain the milk into a small jug or bowl. Clean the pot and add the butter and heat until foaming, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Cook on a medium heat, stirring for 1-2 minutes or until blonde in colour. Add the warm milk gradually while continuously whisking allowing the sauce to thicken before each addition of milk. Once all the milk is added continue whisking until there are no lumps and the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese while stirring until incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and cover with baking paper so a skin does not form.

Crayfish

Preheat oven to 160c. Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to the boil. Blanch the crayfish for 1 minute and remove from the water (this helps the meat to come away from the shell). Cut the crayfish in half and season lightly with salt, pepper and olive oil, put a heavy base pan on the stove on a high heat. Add your crayfish shell side down to the pan and put it into the oven. Check every few minutes depending on the size. Once the crayfish is 60% cooked remove from the oven. Spoon over mornay sauce, turn the oven onto grill and put the lobster back in until the sauce is nice and golden. Remove from the grill and add chives and cracked black pepper to the top and serve with your choice of garnish, chips/ roast potatoes/ salad.