Crayfish and Pomelo Spring Salad
Despite a weatherwise rotten week with, you wouldn't believe it, snow, the first signs of spring are undeniably here. I've spent much time outside in the park, getting everything ready, pruning and cutting down dead branches. Now it all looks strangely empty except for the daffs that I've planted last autumn. March, I admit, is not exactly my favourite month in the year. What with a little luck was charmingly covered with a layer of hoarfrost or even snow some weeks ago now is brown and muddy (except for the daffs) and looking tired. But with joy I see we're already half way through the month, won't be long now until everything is in bloom.
We've also started on creating a flagstone terrace in front of the kitchen, with reclaimed flagstones from the region, they are from the Vosges mountains and the stone is of typical reddish purple hue. I'll plant thyme and pansies in the cracks once it's finished. We are planning to put a roof over it at some point so we have a spot to sit outside in summer even when it rains (it rains a lot in summer here, almost a little too much for my taste).
Last weekend I made us a smashing special treat for breakfast, a crayfish and pomelo spring salad with homemade mayonnaise. Citrus are still in season and currently I get the most delicious oranges and pomelos from Corsica, the island where Napoleon was from. They taste so sweet now as we're moving towards the end of the season and incidentally are full of everything goodness for your body. That's one of the few things I like about late winter/ early spring: Corsican oranges galore.
What you'll need
Serves 2-4, depending on what else you intend on serving for breakfast. This dish is also suited as a light entrée for a several courses French lunch or dinner.
One large and really ripe pomelo
200g crayfish
Some fresh chopped chives, I was lucky to find some wild growing chives in the fields
A pinch of piment d'espelette
For the homemade mayonnaise - this will render more than you need just for the salad, it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days in a sealed vessel:
One fresh farm egg
Cold pressed rapeseed oil
One small clove of garlic, crushed
Half a teaspoon of fine mustard from Burgundy
Half a teaspoon of fleur de sel
A bit of ground white pepper
A bit of piment d'espelette
How you Make it
Start with the mayonnaise. It's easiest to work with a blender and in a narrow vessel. You may manually do it with a whisk and in a steel or even better copper bowl. Crack the egg and blend for a couple of seconds, then add the oil only one drop at the time or in a thin thread merely, proceed until the mass gets thick, this will take a couple of minutes. When you've got the desired mayonnaise texture, add garlic, mustard, salt and pepper and blend again for a couple of seconds. Let sit covered in the fridge.
Peel the pomelo and half it with a sharp knife bottom to top. Remove thin skin around the pomelo slices, making at each slice a lengthways cut and gently detach the slice, proceed until the pomelo is filleted. Place in a separate bowl and add the crayfish with the chives and a pinch of piment d'espelette. Add lots of mayonnaise and carefully mix so as not to crush the pomelo slices.
Serve in a salad leaf in a flat champagne coupe, ever so dashing on the ordinary kitchen table!
How you eat it
What a gorgeous breakfast treat, have a thick slice of fresh brioche along and it sure will be the start into a fabulous Sunday!
