Crayfish Truffle Tagliatelle with Bisque Sauce
Today is such a lovely day. It’s one of those shiny days when the weather can simply cheer you up. A shiny, sunny day with a bright blue sky! You feel like opening your doors and windows and bring the sunlight into your house. Spring is just around the corner. Perhaps that’s why we’re all craving for some sun and warmer temperatures.
Even though I had sworn that I’d stay away from the kitchen this weekend to get some rest and have a change of scenery, it seems like I’m about to break my own promises. The weather has cheered me up and boosted my mood! So I went for grocery shopping and came back home with bags filled with wonderful things!
I predict that I’m going to stay in the kitchen all day long! As you might not know yet, the process is quite long today! I’ll be cooking, taking pictures, making a mess in my kitchen and then of course, I will have to clean. I’m not thinking about it though. While I’m emptying my shopping bags and getting ready to start cooking, I’m calling some friends to join us tonight and enjoy today’s dish together.
What’s going on in my kitchen today is just incredible! I found fresh crayfish and I’m thinking of setting myself a challenge. I’m making tagliatelle with crayfish meat, bisque and truffle. It’s quite ambitious, I know, but I’ve tried it before and I’m feeling confident. It’s one of those recipes that cause a complete mess in the kitchen and mine isn’t exactly famous for its size. This recipe is definitely no joke!
The making of bisque is a very serious task! It’s the finest, smoothest and most buttery broth you could ever imagine and it’s mainly based on seafood. It’s a French recipe made with mostly shellfish, fish, shrimp, crayfish or lobster shells. It can be made with just one of them or a mixed combination. Vegetables and herbs are always included to enrich the flavor and the result is unbelievable. You can also choose to only use vegetables. It’s basically a divine, concentrated soup that can be consumed both as a soup and a base for pasta, just like what we’re doing today.
The only downside of this recipe is that it’s quite time-consuming and you will have to use numerous pots if you want to achieve the greatest results possible. I'm using super fresh ingredients today, crayfish and shellfish, and I must perfect my bisque to match my truffle pasta. The bar is set high! Only if you make a bisque yourself you’ll realize the uniqueness of the process and the taste that the ingredients give to this absolutely delicious broth which explains why it’s considered such an important part of the French cuisine. Pick your ingredients, find the time and enjoy the process as well as the outstanding result. It’s totally worth it!
Ingredients
Bisque:
15 crayfish with their shells
15 mussels closed with their shells
15 smooth clams with their shells
15 cockles closed with their shells
2tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves (plus one for the end)
1 onion chopped
2 celery sticks chopped
½ cup dry sherry
3 cups fish cooking stock
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
2-3 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp tomato sauce
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp truffle paste
Chopped tarragon or parsley for decorating
Fresh truffle flakes or truffle oil for decorating
Salt, pepper
Pasta:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove
15 pieces of crayfish meat
Truffle flavored fresh tagliatelle
Method
1. Remove the heads from the crayfish and set them aside. Separate the crayfish meat from the shells and set it aside as well. Clean the smooth clams, mussels and cockles thoroughly, especially the cockles which tend to keep more sand.
2. In a big pot melt butter and sauté chopped garlic, onion and celery for about 5 minutes until they release their scents. Add crayfish heads and continue sautéing for another 5 minutes. Then add the mussels, smooth clams and cockles and cover the pot. We want them to open and release their precious liquids. Quench with sherry and stir until it evaporates completely. When the shellfish open, remove them immediately to avoid overboiling. Add salt and pepper. Add the fish cooking stock, water and bay leaves into your pot and boil for about 45 minutes.
3. Use a strainer, a colander or cheesecloth to strain your broth. You should only keep the strained broth. In another pot mix tomato sauce with corn flour and add your broth gradually until it’s all transferred to the pot. It’s important to mention that the quantity of corn flour you’ll use depends on how you want to use your bisque. If you want to serve it as a soup, 2 tablespoons are enough. But if you want to use it as a base for pasta or as a sauce, add 3 tablespoons or more depending on how thick you want it to be. Then add heavy cream and truffle paste. Check for salt and pepper.
4. Add salt and pepper to the crayfish. In a big pan heat olive oil and sauté the garlic. Remove it before it turns yellow. Cook the crayfish until golden. Make sure you don’t overcook them. When they’re done, add your bisque into the same pan and stir lightly. The base for our pasta is now ready.
5. In another pot boil your pasta according to the package instructions. Strain your pasta and add it to the pot with crayfish and bisque.
6. Serve a small quantity into a plate. Place the crayfish alongside. Lace with chopped tarragon or parsley and decorate with fresh truffle flakes or truffle oil.
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