Crayfish with garlic butter

Just when you thought crayfish and garlic butter were the ultimate combination, this special recipe from Nadeem Turkia ups the ante by adding roasted marrow to the garlic butter. Drizzled with a fresh herb sauce, this is one unforgettable seafood dish!

Crayfish with garlic butter Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 cooked WA crayfish

Garlic butter

• 2 bone marrow shafts (1 marrow bone split in half lengthways)
• 250 g butter, softened
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp spice mix (below)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp salt
• ½ tbsp pepper

Spice mix

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground cumin

Garlic herb sauce

• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
• 2 tbsp fresh pesto
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt, to season

You will need to start this recipe a day ahead.

Soaking time: 12-24 hours

Instructions

1. For the garlic butter, soak the split marrow bones in salted water for 12-24 hours, to remove any blood. Drain, and pat dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 185˚C fan-forced. Place the marrow bones, cut-side up, on a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
3. Scoop the cooled marrow into a blender jug and add the softened butter, garlic, spice mix, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and well combined. Scoop out onto cling film, shape into a log and refrigerate until firm. Alternatively, you can spoon the butter mixture into an ice-cube tray to use as individual portions.
4. To make the spice mix, combine all ingredients and mix well. For an even better flavour, roast the whole spices, then grind with a mortar and pestle.
5. To make the garlic herb sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt to taste. Set aside until required.
6. To serve, halve the crayfish tails through the shell. Heat a chargrill pan over high heat and sear the crayfish, flesh-side down for 2 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a serving plate and top with some garlic butter. Drizzle with the garlic herb sauce.

 

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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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.