Ingredients

• 16 live crayfish
• 200g/7oz fregola pasta (very small pasta shapes
• available from some Italian delis)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 110g/4oz girolle mushrooms
• cleaned and sliced
• 2 shallots
• sliced thinly
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 500ml/17fl oz crayfish stock (made from the crayfish shells above)
• or alternatively use ready-made fish stock
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 courgette
• cut into small cubes and salted in a colander
• handful fresh flatleaf parsley
• roughly chopped
• ½ lemon
• juice only
• 1 large bunch watercress
• leaves picked
• 110ml/4fl oz double cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• For the ragoût
• bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the crayfish. Boil for one minute
• then drain and leave to cool slightly. Crack open the shells and remove the tail meat. Reserve the shells and set the tail meat aside.
• Place the reserved crayfish shells into a pan and cover with 750ml/1¼ pints water. Bring to the boil and boil until reduced by a third (you will need 500ml/17fl oz of crayfish stock). Strain through a sieve into a clean bowl and set aside.
• Bring another pan of salted water to the boil. Add the fregola pasta and cook for five minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat a frying pan until hot
• add the olive oil and the crayfish tails and fry for 20 seconds. Add the girolles
• shallots and thyme and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry for one minute.
• Add the crayfish stock and bring to the boil.
• Stir in the butter. Rinse the courgettes of the excess salt and add to the pan
• along with the parsley. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• add the lemon juice and stir.
• Meanwhile
• for the watercress cream
• bring a pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the watercress. Drain and refresh in iced water.
• Place the drained watercress into a food processor and blend to a purée.
• Place the cream into a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Add the watercress purée to the bowl and fold in. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To serve
• divide the ragoût among four serving bowls and spoon over the watercress cream.