Gather and Eat

GATHER

AND EAT

SWEET Eat WATER CRAYS

Gathering your family and friends around a table or open camp-fire is as old as time itself.

After a terrible start to the year, losing their family home in the Northern Rivers February floods, we decided to treat Scenic Road family members Jonathan, Stefanie, and their beautiful daughter Mia to an experience like no other.

With their 1998 Landrover Defender packed and at the ready, we sent them off road tripping to Hipcamp’s latest campsite listing, in the Scenic Rim of course! Their destination? None other than Australian Sweetwater Crays to experience a little Scenic Rim hospitality first-hand. Hipcamp Host and Farmer Alex was there to give them a warm welcome to his property while also offering up some delicious Redclaw crayfish. So here it is, Redclaw prepared three ways over hot coals. Enjoy!

CRAYS 3 WAYS

Preparing the Crays

Once you’ve picked up your live order from Alex’s farmgate shed, preparing Redclaw crayfish is no different to preparing any other live crustacean. Just pop the live catch into a freezer or submerge in a bucket of ice and leave to sleep for 20min.

Then simply pop the crays whole into boiling water for 7-8 minutes, then drain ready and cut open to serve with lemon and salt.

Alternatively, after your crays have gone to sleep in the freezer, split the raw crayfish down the center with a sharp knife, the same as you would for bugs, and grill flesh down in a hot pan or skillet until meat turns from opaque to firm and white, this usually only takes a few minutes.

Grill or saute in garlic butter, a squeeze of lemon juice and Alex’s hot tip, a drizzle of honey to serve. Delish! But what to do with the left over claws and heads? Even though there is no meat in the head, there is plenty of flavour! See Alex’s family favourite, Redclaw bisque soup on the opposite page. Delish!

Redclaw Bisque Soup

Ingredients

Heads and claws of 1kg Redclaw 2 onions finely diced 5 carrots finely diced Oil (vegetable or similar) 1 bottle of white wine ½ head of garlic diced

Method

Ginger Lemon juice 2 tablespoons brown sugar Sweet paprika Chilli Salt Pepper

1. Add the onions, garlic, oil, and salt to a pot and cook with the lid on until caramelised.

2. Add the Redclaw heads and carrots, put enough water in so that all the Redclaw are submerged.

3. Bring to the boil and then simmer on a low heat until the carrots are soft enough to cut with a spoon (about 30 mins).

4. Pour into a blender and blend. This will extract more flavour from the Redclaw heads.

5. Pour through a fine sieve into a pot and bring back to simmer.

6. Add the wine, lemon juice, pepper, paprika, ginger, sugar, chilli and simmer for at least 30 mins.

7. Taste and adjust to your liking.

8. (Optional) Can cook the tails in this mixture if you like.

9. Serve in cups or bowls with a dollop of sour cream and fresh white bread and butter.