Method

Serves 4-6

This dish makes one crayfish go a long way. You need a pot and a baking dish of some kind.

Bring a pot large enough to hold the cabbage, half filled with water, to the boil. Add the cabbage and simmer, covered, for half an hour. Drain and set aside to cool.

Kill the crayfish (chill to 2°C until insensible, then pierce with a knife between the eyes) and then boil for about 5 minutes. Remove from the water and allow to cool.

Place monkfish, cut into chunks, into a food processor with 50ml cream and salt. Process until cut into a coarse paste. Add lemon juice and pulse to combine. Scrape from the food processor into a bowl.

Take the meat from the crayfish and cut into small (about 1cm cube) pieces. Add the crayfish meat to the blended monkfish, cover and refrigerate.

Place the body of the cooked crayfish into the pot and smash it into small pieces with a heavy instrument (I use a paint scraper that both cuts and smashes). Cover with water and simmer for 1 hour.

Strain liquid from the smashed body. Discard body and keep the liquid. Put liquid back on the heat and reduce until you have about 1 cup. Add remaining cream, brandy and tomato paste. Simmer until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups then set aside.

Take the now cold cabbage and, using a small knife, cut the core from the bottom of the cabbage. Carefully peel leaves from the cabbage. You want to get 6-8 complete leaves. Lay the leaves on the table and divide the crayfish/monkfish mixture between the leaves. Place the mixture in a large blob near the base of the leaf, then roll up, completely enclosing the crayfish/monkfish mixture.

Place the crayfish-filled cabbage rolls into a baking dish. Add white wine, cover and cook in a pre-heated 175°C oven for 25 -30 minutes.

Serve with hot crayfish sauce.