Open crab ravioli with spicy bisque

⇐ The Green Book

Ideally you want a whole live crab, but a pile of crab claws might work equally well. I decent crab is enough for 2 people as a starter.

Ingredients

live crab

1 live crab prepared as in Miscellaneous basic recipes and techniques#Dealing with a live crab

for the bisque

shell, legs and claws of cooked crab that has had meat removed.

50g butter

small onion, finely chopped

small carrot, finely chopped

stick celery, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

sprigs fresh thyme

some parsley stalks

50g tomato puree

1 tsp chilli flakes

75ml dry white wine

75ml brandy

500ml approx water

25g plain flour

75ml double cream

salt & black pepper

for the ravioli

white meat from the crab

juice and zest of a lemon

double cream or creme fraiche

100g tipo 00 pasta flour (or 5-10g more if egg is large)

1 egg

Method

1. Prepare crab. Prepare the live crab as in Miscellaneous basic recipes and techniques#Dealing with a live crab
2. Make the ravioli. Blend the flour and egg together in a blender. Tip onto work surface and knead to make stiff dough. Rest in fridge for ½ an hour. Roll out into lasagne sheets. Cut out circles 9-12cm.
3. Make the crab filling. Mix the white crab meat with a little cream or creme fresh, some lemon zest and juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Make the bisque. Crush the shell and leg debris into smallish pieces. Heat 25g butter in pan and gently cook the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and parsley stalks. Cook until soft without colouring. Stir in the tomato puree and chilli flakes and cook for a minute or so. Add the crushed crab shell, white wine and brandy. Top up with water so that everything is barely covered. Cover and bring to a boil, gently simmer for 40 minutes with the lid ajar. Strain well.
5. Finish the bisque. Melt a little butter with flour to make a roux. (Don't make too much as you want to end up with a sort of pouring sauce not a thick béchamel - thicken with a little cornflour if it ends up too thin.) Stir in the strained crab liquor to make a thin béchamel, cooking out for 5-10 minutes. Add the cream and season - add some cayenne pepper if it needs more heat.
6. Assemble. Cook the ravioli. Heat a large pan with water and add plenty of salt. Cook the ravioli circles in batches. Drain. Warm through the crab briefly in the microwave or a small pan. Warm through the bisque. Pour a puddle of bisque on a plate or wide bowl. Place a disk of ravioli on plate. Spread a spoonful of crab mixture on top. Repeat doing 2 or 3 layers of crab. Top with another ravioli disk. Garnish with a little chopped parsley. Serve with a jug of the remaining bisque.

own recipe with a nod to Crab Bisque in New Covent Garden Soup Company's Book of Soups