Crayfish with Wild Garlic Butter & Lovage Vodka Following the Scandinavian proactice of eating quantities of crayfish washed down with aquavit, here is a herby alternative. Make the lovage vodka ahead. Lovage is a delicious, under-used herb with earthy, aromatic (and even curry-ish) celery flavours. It’s not often found in supermarkets but it is easy to grow, shooting up every spring and threatening to take over the garden. If you have difficulty finding lovage, use a small bunch of dill. Wild garlic butter is also delicious stirred into a risotto, mixed into pasta, or on grilled meat or fish. Substitute an aïoli, in need. Ingredients The crayfish in broth 3 kilos live freshwater crayfish 5 litres water ½ a bottle of white wine 3 leeks of onions, sliced 3 sticks of celery, sliced 3 bay leaves Small bunches of fresh mint, parsley and dill 1 teaspoon each fennel seeds and black peppercorns 5 tablespoons sea salt 1 tablespoon sugar To serve Lemon wedges, dill fronds and crusty bread Wild garlic butter (method below) Lovage shots (method below) Method In a large pot, make a stock by combining all the ingredients except the crayfish (reserving some dill fronds) and simmer for around half an hour. Strain the broth and return the liquid to the pot. Bring to a vigorous boil, then add half the crayfish and simmer for 7 minutes. Lift them out with a strainer into a bowl of icy water to stop them cooking. Repeat with the remaining crayfish. Let the stock cool completely, then pour over the strained crayfish and leave them in the fridge for several hours or overnight to soak up the flavoursome broth. Strain the crayfish and serve at room temperature with the reserved fronds of dill and lemon wedges. Gently heat the wild garlic butter until melted and warm. Pour the butter into little bowls for dipping and the lovage vodka or gin into chilled shot glasses. Crusty bread is essential to mop up the juices. Lovage Vodka Pour 500ml of vodka into a jar, add a handful of lovage, making sure it’s submerged, then close the jar and leave at room temperature for 2 days. Remove the lovage, decant into a bottle and chill in the fridge or freezer. Wild Garlic Butter Mash 100g of very, very finely chopped wild garlic with 250g of butter until well combined. Add salt to taste. Press the butter into a dish, cover well with clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge or freezer. Serves 6 This recipe is from the cookbook Gather Cook Feast by Jessica Seaton, available now. TwitterFacebookPinterest This recipe is from the cookbook Gather Cook Feast by Jessica Seaton, available now. Related Stories Food Issue 19 My Kitchen Table: Dominique Crenn French-born chef Dominique Crenn knows how to keep a level head and relishes the nights when she gets to cook to her own soundtrack. Food Issue 19 Recipe: Chamomile Cookies When your day is filled with too much excitement, taking time to sit quietly with these calming morsels and a cup of tea could be just the antidote. Food Issue 19 The Spicy Menu Nothing gets our hearts racing and noses running like a healthy dose of heat, but chile isn’t the only ingredient that gets our blood pumping. Food Issue 18 The Black and White Menu Despite being devoid of color, this menu is by no means short on taste—by limiting some of our senses, we can amplify others. Food Issue 17 Lunch with Peter Miller: White Bean Soup with Garlic and Sausage Lunch at the Shop: Seattle bookshop owner Peter Miller discusses the meaning of sitting down for lunch with your co-workers. Food Issue 17 The Blood Menu When we think of blood relatives, we consider comfort food, handed-down recipes and sharing meals with our families.
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