I'm not going to re-write the article, that would be too complicated (it included a philosophical aside on the bucolic delights of crayfishing in Wiltshire, worthy of The Compleat Angler, itself); but I am going to tell you how to make my potted crayfish recipe in the comfort of your own kitchens. The recipe worked well, although as I suspected, my spicy red pepper sauce was far too powerful for the delicate tomato jelly, and the dish would be more suitable for a summer's evening in the garden, than a miserable, cold and wet January.
First, you need to make a so-called tomato consommé. Buy some ripe, red tomatoes (the riper the better), and smash them up in the Magimix with a handful of sea salt. I used Maldon's smoked sea salt. Get hold of a sieve, and line it with muslin of coffee filter paper. Fill it up with the tomato pulp, and let the tomatoes drip into a bowl which you've placed underneath. It's probably best to leave it in the 'fridge overnight. In the morning, the bowl will be full of a lovely, crystal clear, rose-scented, intensely flavoured tomato stock.
Next, pack some ramekin dishes with crayfish. I bought wild crayfish tails from my local supermarket. Okay, they're in a plastic packet, and produced by Joe Lyons (of Corner House fame), but they're surprisingly good: much sweeter and juicier than their prawn cousins. Cut up four gelatine leaves into small pieces, and soak them in about three tablespoons of cold fish stock and lemon juice. Next, melt them very carefully in a bain-marie, making sure they don't boil. When the liquid gelatine is hot and runny, pour it directly into the tomato stock, and whisk the mixture up very thoroughly with a whisk. If there is any fish juice left over from the crayfish packet, add this too.
Finally, pour the tomato consommé over the crayfish, to cover. Now it's time to discuss the spice factor. I tried making a spicy red pepper sauce to drizzle on top of the crayfish, and it didn't work. The flavours were just too strong. But I'm still obsessed with the idea that a touch of spice will work well with this dish- the tomato and crayfish combo is a bit Louisianan, isn't it? I'm going to add a dash of Tabasco to the tomato consommé at the mixing stage, and see how that works. Just a drop or two. That's all.
Put the ramekins in the 'fridge, and they should set in an hour or so. Oh- and here's a useful tip- take them out of the 'fridge about an hour before you want to serve them. This will help to get rid of that slightly metallic gelatine taste. I think that's about it; though it might need some sort of garnish on top. How about roasted red peppers, with their skins removed, and chopped up into very small pieces, or even better, sliced into julienne ?