Marieke Brugman

Yabby consommé

Ingredients

2 live yabbies per person , each of 75g min
100 g max size.

Method

To remove flesh, plunge a few yabbies at a time into boiling court bouillon.

Don’t cook through.

Peel when cool enough to handle.

Set flesh aside, lightly oil with a fine olive oil, white pepper and refrigerate.

Thoroughly clean the cut heads then smash all heads and shells.

Per 3kg of yabbies, prepare the following

2 large carrots chopped
2 white parts of leeks chopped
1 fennel chopped
1 1/2kg sun ripened tomatoes
3 stalks lemon grass chopped
2 large fingers of chopped ginger

In a large pan heat a film of olive oil until smoking.

Add yabby shells and heads and toss until well coloured.

Deglaze and splash with cognac.

Add roasted vegetables, half bottle white wine (not too dry),

1 vanilla bean (split), 6 star anise (smashed), parsley and chervil stalks, 4 pieces dried mandarin peel.

Cover with cold water and bring to a mere simmer; skim surface.

Cook for several hours at a bare shudder until a well flavoured sweetly scented broth develops.

Strain and refrigerate overnight.

Next day: remove fat layer

Make an egg white slurry (1 cup egg whites and a 1 cup chopped carrots, celery, onions, leeks and parsley stalks).

Whisk slurry into cold stock and bring slowly to the boil.

Reduce to the lowest possible simmer for 1 hour until the raft sets and splits.

Carefully remove the crust and ladle consommÈ through a double layer of wet muslin.

Check seasoning.

To serve

boil broth, steam or grill yabbies until translucent.

Garnish soup cups with two yabbies, chervil leaves and snipped chives.