Entree: Australia – Western Australia – Grilled Marron (Grilled Western Australian freshwater crayfish with garlic-herb butter)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 10 min

Cook 10 min

Additional 2 min

Total 22 min

Ingredients

- 4 marron, approx. 8 oz (225 g) each, whole and live or very fresh
- 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp (30 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil for brushing
- 1 tsp (6 g) coarse sea salt, plus extra for finishing
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges to serve
- Charcoal or wood for grilling (as required)

Instructions

1. Prepare the marron by rinsing under cold water. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, split each marron lengthwise through the back from head to tail and remove the intestinal tract. Pat the flesh dry.
2. In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, chopped parsley, 1 tsp (6 g) sea salt, and 1/2 tsp (1 g) black pepper to make the garlic-herb butter. Reserve about 2 tbsp (30 g) for serving.
3. Preheat a grill or barbecue to medium-high (about 400°F / 200°C). Brush the cut flesh lightly with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt.
4. Place marron flesh-side down on the hot grill and cook 3–4 minutes until the flesh has good char marks. Flip and grill shell-side down for 3–5 minutes more, basting with the garlic-herb butter several times so it melts into the flesh.
5. Remove from the grill when flesh is opaque and cooked through (total grilling time will vary with size, roughly 6–10 minutes). Let rest 1–2 minutes.
6. Serve each marron halved, topped with remaining garlic-herb butter and lemon wedges, and finish with a light sprinkle of coarse sea salt.