Crab and Crayfish Mac

Ingredients

• 100g mixed (white and brown) good quality crab meat
• 100g fresh crayfish
• 400g macaroni
• 160g 1833 cheddar
• 2 heaped tbsp butter
• 1 heaped tbsp flour
• 400ml milk
• 1 Bay leaf
• 100ml Veg Stock
• 2 tbsp Panko crumbs
• 2 Tbsp Double Cream
• Salt and Pepper
• Thyme

Lemon Tomato Salad

Method

The Mac and Cheese

1. Start by grating the cheddar whilst you boil your macaroni to al dente in salted water.
2. Drain the macaroni once cooked, reserving about a cup of cooking water
3. Now move on to the sauce; heat the remaining butter in a saucepan and once frothy and melted, stir in the flour Allow the flour to brown lightly before gradually whisking in the milk; then the stock; season and add the bay leaf and leave to simmer and thicken, stirring often Once the sauce is thick.
4. remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf and add the remaining cheddar
5. Stir into the cooked macaroni the crab meat, crayfish, cheese sauce and reserved pasta cooking water as needed to form a luscious and creamy coated pasta; check seasoning
6. Place in baking dish and now add two table spoons of extra thick double cream to the top, sprinkle with Panko bread crumbs
7. pop into a preheated oven (at 180 degrees) for around 20 minutes to warm though, it’s done when it’s bubbling

Method

The Tomato Salad

1. Halve the tomatoes and add to a bowl.
2. Quarter the lemons and add to bowl
3. Juice a lemon and add to the salad
4. Season well and add the crushed garlic and fresh thyme
5. Add olive oil and mix