from Tatiana's notebook · Light meals
Marron Salad with Herb Aioli
When we go to visit my in-laws in Western Australia, I am always looking forward to the fresh produce. The farm fresh eggs, the fish caught by my husband and his father and the beautiful fresh veggies pulled straight from the garden.
- Total
- 30 min
Jump to the methodAdded August 2011
During our last visit, we happened to visit the Old Kent River Winery. As a special treat, on this occasion we decided to buy some live Marron, a native fresh water crayfish that when cooked properly is beautifully tender and has a sublimely delicate flavour.
You'll need
- 1 or 2 Marron per person
- Mix of salad leaves
- 1 Nasturtium flower per plate
- 1 portion of Aioli
- 1 bunch of fresh herbs
- (chives, parsley, thyme, rosemary)
Method
The most humane and easiest method of killing any crustacean is to chill it in the freezer for ½ hour until it becomes insensible or in other words, goes to sleep (but not long enough to freeze it).
Bring a large pan of water with a little salt to the boil. Remove the Marron from the freezer and place them carefully into the boiling water.
Put the Marron into the boiling water 
Cooked Marron The Marron we had weighed between 150g and 200g each. Our cooking time was six minutes. Make sure that you do not overcook the marron as the meat will toughen. Once cooked, place the marron in a pan filled with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Chop the fresh herbs finely and add them to the prepared Aioli.
See our How to make Aioli page for details on how to make fresh Aioli yourself.
Cut the marron in half Cut the Marron in half using a strong knife. Do this by laying the Marron out flat on a chopping board. Position the blade so that it is flat along the centre of its back before pushing down firmly in a smooth motion.
Do NOT try to start the cut by sticking the knife tip in, in a stabbing motion. This will not work and will ruin the shell.
Scoop the Marron meat out of the shell and clean up the shells as best you can.
On a plate, dress a few salad leaves and add the Marron meat. Place the Nasturtium flower and half a shell as a decoration. Serve the salad with the Herb Aioli.
Serve the Marron
