Recipe: Woodfired Freshwater Crayfish

For the cracker:

• In a large pot, fry off Massaman paste in sunflower oil until slightly caramelised
• Add 600ml of water and sago, mix well and boil until fully cooked
• Spread the cooked paste on silicone matts 4mm thick in desired shape and dry paste in oven or dehydrator at 70c degrees for 8 hours
• Carefully remove the cracker from the matt and let cool down
• Bring cottonseed oil up to 190c degrees and fry off the cracker until lightly coloured
• Place cooked cracker on paper towel too drain off and keep cracker in a dry and warm environment

For the Sorbet:

• Boil glucose, sugar and 20ml lime juice
• Add the 300g off the lychee flesh and blend with stick blender for about 30 seconds
• Add mix in a pacojet cup and freeze for at least 12 hours at -18c degrees
• Blitz it in pacojet before use for best results

For the dressing:

• Combine milk, kaffir lime leaves and 40ml lime juice in vac pac and seal
• Place in sous vide machine and leave it on 48c degrees for 2 hours
• Cool mix down in ice bath before removing kaffir lime leave
• Add sea salt and xanthan gum before blitzing with stick blender until emulsified
• Chop remaining lychee in small pieces and mix through dressing

For the garlic chive oil:

• Place grapeseed oil and garlic chive in high power blender and blitz on highest setting
• Wait until the liquid reaches 80C degrees through friction heat
• Strain through oil filter and cool down

For the crayfish:

• Preheat charcoal grill, crack the bush tamarind and place it in a small pot
• Add 200ml water, fish sauce, cumin and honey
• Bring the mix to boil and let simmer for 10 minutes
• Stir the mix and strain through fine chinois, and let cool down
• Cut the crayfish in half lengthways and remove everything accept the flesh from the inside
• Brush the tamarind glacé on the flesh and char over hot coals for 3 min. Turn and grill for a another 3 minutes
• Let crayfish cool down and remove the flesh.

To finish:

• Toss crayfish flesh in butter milk dressing and spread out on plate
• Drizzle with chive oil and place a quenelle of the churned lychee sorbet on top
• Top with cracker and garnish with finger lime caviar

For further inspiration or to book your culinary adventure visit, Mt Mulligan Lodge.