serves
4
prep
20 minutes
cook
5 minutes
difficulty
Mid
serves
4
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
5
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
250 g best-quality unsalted butter, softened
finely grated rind 2 lemons
2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
¼ cup lemon juice
4 x 300 g marron (purged)
olive oil
Freezing time: 3 hours
Instructions
Cream butter with lemon zest, salt, dill and pepper. Beat in lemon juice until amalgamated. Spoon out mixture in a line down the centre of a piece of aluminium foil and wrap whilst rolling to form a tight log. Twist the ends to seal. Place in the freezer for 3 hours or until firm.
Place live marron in freezer for 20-30 minutes until marron no longer move but are not frozen. Preheat grill plate over high heat. Using a large cook’s knife, plunge the tip at the thorax (where the head meets the body) and quickly cut down through the head. Swivel the marron around to cut the opposite way through the body to cut in half. Rinse the head cavity and remove the alimentary canal.
Dry marron with paper towel before drizzling with olive oil. Place cut side down on hot grill for 2 minutes before turning and cooking a further 2 minutes. (The flesh needs to be slightly under-cooked as the residual heat will continue the cooking process.) Place slices of the lemon and dill butter on the marron and leave a further 30 seconds before removing from the grill. Serve with freshly cracked black pepper.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
