Stuffed Crayfish

Ingredients

• crayfish
• mirepoix (diced vegetables for stock base)
• béchamel sauce (butter and flour roux bound with milk)
• fine breadcrumb
• clarified butter

Instructions

1. Cook the crayfish in a mirepoix (diced vegetables) using the Bordeaux method (see Crayfish à la Bordelaise in the Fish and Shellfish chapter).
2. Using kitchen shears, carefully cut away a band of shell from the entire length of the crayfish's back. Remove the tail meat and cut it into small dice.
3. Remove the contents of the body cavity. Combine a small amount of reduced béchamel sauce with the chopped crayfish tail and any internal matter to form a coulis (fine purée). Pass this through a fine sieve, then fold in the diced tail meat. Use this mixture to stuff the crayfish shells.
4. Dust the filled shells with very fine breadcrumb. Drizzle with melted butter and glaze quickly under high heat. Arrange on a folded napkin for service.