Ingredients
- For consomme
- 3 blue swimmer crabs
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 1 stick celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 leek, sliced
- 6 tomatoes, diced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 150ml brandy
- 2 litres fish stock
- 6 egg whites
- For crab mixture
- 175g cooked crab meat
- 1 tsp creme fraiche
- Pinch chopped chives
- Zest lime
- For fromage frais
- 3 tbsp fromage frais
- Zest lemon
- For sweet pepper confit
- 1 red capsicum, diced
- 1 yellow capsicum, diced
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 1 clove of garlic, sliced
- 75ml olive oil
- 2g agar agar*
Method
For consomme: cook crabs in hot oil until caramelised, remove from pan. Cook vegetables until coloured, add tomatoes and cook until they break down.
Add tomato paste, fry on base of pan. Flambe brandy, add fish stock, bring to boil. Simmer one hour, strain and cool.
Place cool soup in large saucepan, add egg whites. Slowly heat soup, bring almost to boil. Egg whites will form a "raft". Simmer for five minutes then strain.
For crab mixture: mix crab meat, creme fraiche, chives and lime zest in bowl, season to taste.
For lemon fromage frais: mix fromage frais and lemon zest in a bowl, season to taste. Place in a piping bag for serving later. Refrigerate.
For sweet pepper confit: place peppers, shallot and garlic into oil, warm gently for 30 minutes.
For cannelloni-style sheet: combine 200ml of consomme and agar agar in small saucepan and heat gently (do not boil), whisking continuously.
Pour mix on to flat tray to create a two-millimetre-thick sheet of liquid. Chill in fridge.
To assemble: cut large rectangle out of crab jelly, fill one end with crab mixture. Roll up into a cannelloni shape.
Place sweet pepper confit into large warm bowl, top with crab cannelloni. Create a line with lemon fromage frais and drizzled balsamic.
Warm consomme, pour over cannelloni. Serve with balsamic.
* Agar agar is available at most good providores.
