Freshwater Crayfish Ravioli with Masawa, Lime Basil & Dill Velouté

servings
6-10 servings, depending on portion-size.
prep time
15 minutes
cook time
30 minutes
Recipe Image

Frozen freshwater crayfish does not on its own possess masses of flavour, and in my experience, the texture can vary. (Fresh is best, always!) Tasting, as you go through the recipe, is therefore important for ensuring the correct balance and depth of flavours.

Ingredients

For the ravioli filling:

  • •1 shallot, peeled and halved
  • •1/2 teaspoon white peppercorns
  • •1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • •1 small garlic clove
  • •1 bay leaf
  • •2–3 thyme sprigs
  • •500 g (about 1 lb 2 oz) freshwater crayfish (or substitute other shellfish)
  • •300 g (10½ oz) tilapia fillets (or substitute any soft white fish
  • •45 ml (3 tablespoons) fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
  • •5 ml (1 teaspoon) fish sauce, plus more to taste
  • •Up to 120 ml (½ cup) whipping cream, to taste
  • •Up to 120 ml (½ cup) fish stock (poaching liquid), to taste
  • •Small handfuls finely chopped fresh lime basil and dill

For the ravioli:

  • •300 g (10½ oz) prepared pasta dough
  • •1 large egg (about 50 g), beaten

For the Masawa, Lime Basil & Dill Velouté:

  • •1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
  • •½ teaspoon white peppercorns
  • •½ teaspoon coriander seeds
  • •1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
  • •1 bay leaf
  • •2-3 thyme sprigs
  • •2 lemongrass stalks, split
  • •180 ml (¾ cup) dry vermouth
  • •1 tablespoon masawa purée (or substitute with any red fruit purée or preserve)
  • •240 ml (1 cup) fish stock
  • •240 ml (1 cup) whipping cream
  • •½ teaspoon fish sauce, or to taste
  • •1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
  • •Small handfuls fresh lime basil & dill, roughly chopped

To finish and serve:

  • •30 g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, or more as needed
  • •Small crayfish tails, as needed for garnish depending on the number of servings
  • •Fresh lime juice, to taste
  • •Mongongo nuts, dry-roasted and roughly chopped (or substitute whole pine nuts)
  • •Fresh dill and onion flowers, plus sprigs of dill and lime basil

Preparation

  1. For the ravioli filling

    1. In a medium saucepan combine 300 ml (1¼ cups) water with the halved shallot, white peppercorns, coriander seeds, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add the crayfish and tilapia and poach until just cooked, 3–4 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon. Strain and reserve the poaching liquid to use as fish stock. Splash a little lime juice over the seafood and set aside to cool.

    Place two-thirds of the crayfish and all of the tilapia in a mixing bowl. Add the lime juice and fish sauce, then blend with enough cream and reserved poaching liquid to form a firm, smooth, spoonable purée.

    Finely dice the remaining one-third of the crayfish; set aside half of these dice for the velouté. Fold the rest into the purée with the chopped lime basil and dill. Cover and chill until needed (up to 1 day).

  2. For the ravioli

    1. Roll the pasta dough into thin sheets with a pasta machine. Lay one sheet on a lightly floured surface and spoon small mounds of filling in rows, leaving space between.

    Brush around each mound with beaten egg, top with a second sheet, press to seal well (expelling any air), and cut into ravioli. Transfer to a floured tray or freeze until cooking.

  3. For the masawa, lime basil & dill velouté

    In a medium saucepan, combine the sliced shallot, white peppercorns, coriander seeds, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, lemongrass, vermouth, and masawa purée. Bring to a boil and reduce by about half.

    Add the fish stock and boil to reduce by half again. Stir in the cream and simmer until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Add the reserved diced crayfish and remove from the heat. Season to taste with fish sauce and lime juice. Just before serving, stir in the chopped lime basil and dill.

  4. To finish and serve

    Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the ravioli until tender, about 6 minutes (a bit longer if frozen). Drain gently. Warm the serving bowls while the ravioli cooks.

    In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and gently sauté the small crayfish tails 1–2 minutes until just opaque. Drizzle with lime juice and keep warm.

    Arrange ravioli in the warmed bowls. Ladle over the masawa, lime basil, and dill velouté. Top each portion with a sautéed crayfish tail, a sprinkle of mongongo (or pine) nuts, and garnish with dill and onion flowers plus sprigs of dill and lime basil. Serve immediately.

About the author

Annabel Hughes Aston is an award-winning chef, organic gardener, forager and writer, who lives with her husband on a farm in the Zambezi Valley, upstream from Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia. Annabel is an advocate for hyperlocal, plant-forward, sustainable dining. She has spent the past twelve years, since moving to Livingstone, developing an organic garden and experimenting with, and fusing, wild and indigenous ingredients with the produce she grows. She uses locally-produced dairy, meat and fish, while the garden, the market, the village and the wilderness make up the mainstay of her pantry: fresh organic garden produce, indigenous heirloom grains and seeds, bush fruits, tree nuts, wild mushrooms, legumes, roots, leaves and more, which she crafts into an ever-changing menu according to the seasons.

Courtesy photo

Annabel Hughes Aston

Annabel Hughes Aston

Annabel Hughes Aston is an award-winning chef, organic gardener, forager and writer, who lives with her husband on a farm in the Zambezi Valley, upstream from Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia.

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