Wild Signal Crayfish are this summer’s super food, with excellent health and green credentials.
International cook, food-writer and restaurateur Anna Fidler has linked up with The Kennet Crayfish Company to champion wild caught Signal crayfish and provide recipes with health and wellbeing benefits.
Anna says: “This delicious delicacy is very low in fat and contains high grade protein. Crayfish are a rich source of many of the essential vitamins and minerals we need to stay healthy such as; phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6 and B12 which help to strengthen bones and muscles, support our nervous system, as well as promoting healthy eyes, liver, hair and skin.”
Signal crayfish, the ones we eat, are an invasive species so the more we eat the better for the environment. Wild Signal crayfish, trapped in the River Kennet, a rare chalk stream of pure, clear water that originates in underground chalk aquifers and springs that provide an oxygen-rich environment that teems with wildlife, such as kingfishers, swans, water voles, damselflies, otters, trout, salmon and crayfish. This wonderful environment is one of the reasons the Kennet Crayfish Company has set up operations on its banks at Thatcham in Berkshire. Here they trap and process wild Signal crayfish in a humane, high welfare, bio-secure facility from where you can obtain par-cooked and fully cooked, chilled crayfish delivered next day to most addresses in the UK.
Through her association with Kennet Crayfish Company Anna has devised a couple of summer recipe ideas that will not only delight, but also promote your health and wellbeing.
A simple crayfish cocktail with watercress
A take on the ‘70s classic prawn cocktail, this salad is a crowd pleaser; either as individual starters (dust off those old martini glasses at the back of the cupboard!), or as a large dish for a family style lunch or supper.
Serves 4:
1 medium cucumber, roughly diced
Salt to season
400g cooked crayfish meat (tail and claw)
5 heaped tbsp. mayonnaise (use low fat Greek yoghurt to make this salad really healthy)
3 tbsp. tomato ketchup (or go for a twist and use a tomato chutney)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. creamed horseradish
A splash of chilli sauce (such as Tabasco)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large handfuls of watercress
Paprika for dusting
Roughly chop the cucumber and stir through half a teaspoon of salt. Sit the cucumber in a sieve over a bowl and leave for 30 minutes, this will allow the salt to draw out some of the water from the cucumber. This ingredient is optional, so feel free to omit or substitute!
Meanwhile place the crayfish meat in a separate large bowl, mix the mayonnaise (or yoghurt), tomato sauce (or chutney), Worcestershire sauce, horseradish and chilli sauce together. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt and pepper, then spoon sparingly over the crayfish. Add the cucumber and gently stir all the ingredients, check the seasoning and add a little more, if needed.
To serve, layer the watercress into your preferred serving dishes, spoon over the crayfish and dust with a little paprika.
Crayfish Bisque
This is a great way to make the most of the whole crayfish; this bisque uses the shells, heads and small claws that are left over from your crayfish party!
The ingredient quantities are calculated for approximately 1kg of crayfish, so they can be increased or decreased, depending on how much crayfish shells you have left over.
Serves 4-6:
1 kg of leftover crayfish (heads, shells, small claws)
2 bay leaves
Handful of fennel stalks (optional)
1 lemon, peeled and cut into quarters
50g butter (or olive oil, as a healthier option)
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
250ml white wine
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. tomato purée
2 tbsp. plain flour
2 tbsp. Brandy (optional)
A little double cream (optional – definitely leave this out if you want a really healthy version!)
Place the shells, bay leaves, fennel and lemon in a large pan, cover with cold water and boil for 20 minutes before straining and reserving the liquid. The bisque needs approximately 1.5 litres of stock so top up with boiling water, if needed.
Melt the butter (or oil) in a large saucepan and cook the shallots, celery and carrot over a gentle heat until soft and fragrant. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute or two before adding the wine. Cook until the wine is reduced by about half then stir in the cayenne and tomato purée, mixing well before sprinkling over the flour and whisking briskly to remove any lumps.
Cook for a minute or two then add the crayfish stock a little at a time, mixing well to ensure no lumps are forming. Simmer gently until thickened, then blitz until smooth using a stick blender. Pour through a sieve into a large bowl, pressing down with the back of a spoon to push through as much as possible. Pour back into the pan and season to taste before reheating, adding the brandy and cream, if you fancy! Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Traditionally chefs would thicken the soup by grinding some of the crustacean shells into an ultra-fine powder.
Pad Thai with crayfish
Serves 4
Pad Thai Sauce –
40g palm sugar (it is possible to use normal sugar but palm sugar gives the most authentic flavour)
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp. Thai fish sauce
4 tbsp. soy sauce
1 large red chilli, sliced in half
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1cm chunk of ginger, finely grated
First make the Pad Thai sauce, I often do this in advance and store it in the fridge. Make sure you have some extra palm sugar, lime juice and soy sauce available.
Mix all the ingredients together in a small pan, bring to the boil for a minute or so, then reduce the heat and gently simmer until the sugar has melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The sauce should have a distinct blend of salty, sour, sweet and spicy. This is very personal, so add a little more of any or all the ingredients to get it just right. I usually remove the cooked chilli, finely chop, and add it back into the sauce.
The Pad Thai –
150g dry rice noodles, medium size, soak in room temp water for about 30 minutes until soft
A little coconut oil for frying
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 carrot, peeled and finely sliced into batons
1 courgette, finely sliced into batons
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cm chunk of ginger, grated
2 tbsp. dried shrimp paste
4 roughly chopped spring onions
200g cooked, peeled crayfish meat (tail and claw)
Approximately 120g bean sprouts
50g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Garnishes and condiments for serving –
Fresh coriander, chopped
Chilli flakes
Roasted peanuts
Sliced limes
Drain the noodles and cut in half with scissors. This makes them easier to toss and separate in the wok.
Heat a wok or a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add just enough coconut oil to coat the bottom. Add in the onions and carrot and fry for a few minutes, as you go pour over a little of the Pad Thai sauce. Continue to add the courgette, garlic, ginger, shrimp paste and spring onions to the wok and fry until everything is almost cooked but not too soft. Now tip in the noodles, crayfish, bean sprouts and peanuts. Pour over some more of the Pad Thai sauce and continue to stir and cook until the beansprouts wilt a little. Serve immediately with a selection of garnishes.