Michelin star chef Tom Kitchin says preparing shellfish is simpler than you might think and shares with YL readers some ideas for simple but showstopping dishes
Scottish waters are a treasure trove of several species of shellfish – I love the moment when our local suppliers show up at the door of the restaurant with the fresh catch of the day, brought straight from our Scottish shores.
Our crab is landed just a stone’s throw from the restaurant at Newhaven harbour. That kind of freshness is really hard to beat and it’s what I love about being in Scotland and running my restaurant, The Kitchin here.
Preparing shellfish is a real joy for me, using every single part of the produce – even the shell, which can work as a stunning way to serve a dish. I often find people can be reluctant to cook with or prepare shellfish at home though. It can seem messy, complicated and time consuming for some, but actually it’s simpler than you might think. And sometimes seeing the produce in its natural form, getting stuck in, preparing it from scratch and really working with every single part of the produce, can really help your understanding of ingredients, flavours and nature’s marriages. This was how I was taught and I really believe it’s the best way to learn.
Get the freshest shellfish from your local fishmonger and there’s really very little preparation needed as the natural flavours should shine through and come alive with the addition of other fresh seafood, some fresh vegetables or sea vegetables – perfect matches from the season’s best.
I’m a fan of all Scottish shellfish – crab, razor clam, oysters and mussels, cockles and winkles and I use them a lot in my cooking. I must admit though, scallops served in the shell are pretty hard to beat. Whenever possible I try to serve seafood in its shell, as not only does it look impressive, but I really think it gives you an even stronger flavour of the sea.
Crab on toast
Serves 4
1 large brown crab – live
4 slices of sourdough bread
2 lemons
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 small carrot
1 tbsp chives
3 round radishes
A few sprigs of baby watercress for garnish
A few sprigs of carrot leaves for garnish
Half a tsp chopped lemon peel – pith removed
1 tsp lemon juice
Sea salt & cracked black pepper
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and season generously with salt. Place the crab in the water, bring back to the boil then remove from the heat, leaving the crab to sit for 1 hour in the water. Remove the crab and let cool slightly. Pull away the grey gills – or ‘dead man’s fingers’ – from the crab’s body and discard. Pull of the legs and claws and separate at the joints. Pull out the body from the main shell, then scoop out the soft brown meat from the inside.
Pass the crab meat through a sieve and set aside. Using the back of a heavy knife, crack the legs and claws apart and scoop the white meat out. Cut the body cavity into quarters and scrape all the meat from the small cavities using a small knife or a crab pick if you have one. Place all the meat on a tray and carefully check for fragments of shell, repeating this process 3 times.
Cut the carrot and radish into small dice and place in a bowl along with the chives, lemon peel and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly with the white crab meat, and season to taste with salt and pepper. To make the crab mayonnaise mix, take the brown meat and mix thoroughly with half a tablespoon of mayonnaise then set aside. Toast the sourdough bread and cut four cheeks off the lemons.
Serve the crab meat on top of the toast, garnishing with the brown crab mayonnaise, watercress and carrot leaves, with the lemon slices on the side
CRAB, COD CHEEK, SQUID INK SPAGHETTI WITH CHILLI & CORIANDER
Serves 4
For the pasta:
500g Pasta Flour
5 eggs
1 blsp olive oil
1 tblsp veg oil
1 tsp table salt
4 x 4g Sachets of Squid Ink
1 Small bunch spring onions (finely sliced)
8 x cod cheeks (or scallops, white fish pieces such as cod or hake if unavailable)
180g fresh picked white crab meat
180g fresh Squid tubes, cut into triangles (hesi scored)
250g mussels
250g cockles
1 lime cut into wedges
1 tsp shallots
50ml dry white wine
Coriander leaves
Sweet Chilli Sauce
60ml white wine vinegar
50g sugar
15g garlic, chopped
15g red chilli, chopped
15g peanuts, crushed
10g coriander, chopped
10g salt
For the chilli sauce: Heat a frying pan; add oil and sauté the garlic and chilli for 2-3 minutes, until the oil of the chilli starts to come out. Now add the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and reduce until the sauce thickens. Then add the chopped peanuts and coriander and serve with the crispy squid.
For the pasta: Mix together all the pasta ingredients in a kitchen mixer using the dough hook, or by hand to create a soft, smooth pasta dough, Rest the dough in the fridge for at least an hour, or preferably over night. Roll out dough using a pasta machine to desired thickness (settings vary on machines but it should be quite thin) then apply spaghetti attachment and roll out spaghetti.
Blanch the spaghetti in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then refresh quickly in ice water and strain through a colander once cold. Do not leave for longer than necessary. The cooked pasta can be used straight away or stored in the fridge for 2 days.
To prepare the squid: Place the squid on a board and cut down one side of each pouch to open it out. Now lightly score the flesh. Scoring the inside surface of the quid will encourage it to open and curl decoratively as it’s seared in the pan. Lay the opened squid pouch on a board with the inside surface uppermost. Score diagonal lines across the flesh, first in one direction, then at right angles to the first lines, cutting about a third of the way through the flesh.
To serve: Heat the spaghetti briefly in boiling water, pan fry the squid, and cod cheeks. Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottomed pan and add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Cook 1 teaspoon of the shallots for a few seconds, then add the mussels and cockles. Immediately pour in the wine, cover and leave to cook for about 2 minutes or until all the shells are open. Throw away any shells that do not open. Set aside to keep warm and strain.
Toss together the hot pasta with the crab meat, sliced spring onions, cod cheeks, mussels, cockles and squid just to heat everything through. Dress with the chilli sauce to taste and garnish with coriander leaves and lime wedges
SCALLOP CEVICHE WITH SEAWEED
Serves 2
2 large hand-dived scallops in the shell
4 cups of crushed ice
2 large handfuls of seaweed (non -edible)
4 sheets of dried nori seaweed, crushed
1 tblsp cooked winkles
1 tblsp cooked and peeled brown shrimps
1 tsp chopped shallots
4 tblsps good quality extra virgin olive oil
Half a tsp lemon juice
1 handful of channel wrack seaweed blanched and chopped
Sea salt to season
Handful of croutons
Carefully remove the scallops from the shell and clean away any sinew and membrane. Keep the bottom of the shells and clean thoroughly. Slice each scallop carefully into 6 thin slices and set aside. Take two shallow bowls and fill with crushed ice. Arrange the non-edible seaweed around the edges and then place a scallop shell in the centre of each. Put the bowls in the freezer.
Place the nori seaweed, chopped shallots and two tablespoons of oil and whisk together. Slowly add the lemon juice and season to taste with sea salt. Put the sliced scallop in the dressing and mix, then spoon it into the scallop shell. Add the blanched and chopped channel wrack seaweed. Garnish with croutons.
If you’re shopping in Waitrose, look out for Tom’s latest product – Yer Ben, a premium ale created by Tom and the Isle of Skye Brewing Company. The ale was created to perfectly complement any meal and presents an exceptionally smooth, refreshing, well-structured, golden creamy craft.
Yer Ben (ABV 5.5%) with a RRP of £2.59, has a unique flavour – a hint of citrus and slight sweetness. It’s being introduced to Waitrose stores alongside Isle of Skye Brewing Co’s Skye Red (ABV 4.2%, RRP £2.19) and Skye Gold (ABV 4.3%, RRP £2.19). The retailer will introduce 49 new Scottish craft beers this month, increasing the number of Scottish breweries it works with from 13 to 21, giving them the largest assortment in Scotland.