Barbecued Moreton Bay bug cocktail with avocado cream

Name: Barbecued Moreton Bay bug cocktail with avocado cream
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 x 300g green (raw) Moreton Bay bugs (order from your fishmonger); 1 tbs olive oil; 1/2 tsp ground lemon myrtle (from grocers or delis); 1 whole iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges; 200g heirloom cherry tomatoes, sliced; Extra virgin olive oil and small at-leaf parsley leaves, to serve; 1 egg yolk; 1/4 cup (60ml) sunflower oil; 1 1/3 cups (400g) tomato sauce (ketchup); 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp Tabasco; Juice of 1 lemon; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton); 1 avocado, flesh scooped; 1/4 cup (60g) creme fraiche

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15m

Barbecued Moreton Bay bug cocktail with avocado cream

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by delicious. team

delicious. team

Jan 11, 2017

The ultimate seafood salad from Josue Lopez. You won't get anything fresher than this on your plate this summer.

8 x 300g green (raw) Moreton Bay bugs (order from your fishmonger)
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp ground lemon myrtle (from grocers or delis)
1 whole iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges
200g heirloom cherry tomatoes, sliced
Extra virgin olive oil and small at-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Marie Rose sauce

1 egg yolk
1/4 cup (60ml) sunflower oil
1 1/3 cups (400g) tomato sauce (ketchup)
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Tabasco
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton)

Avocado cream

1 avocado, flesh scooped
1/4 cup (60g) creme fraiche
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1.

Using a sharp knife, remove heads from bugs. Using kitchen scissors, cut down both sides of the underside of the tail shell, crack tail open slightly and pull tail meat out. Discard the shell, cover and chill the tail meat until required.
2.

For the Marie Rose sauce, combine all the ingredients and a pinch of salt in a jug. Using a stick blender, blend until well combined.
3.

For the avocado cream, place all ingredients in a jug with a pinch of salt and, using a stick blender, blend until smooth. Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
4.

Preheat a chargrill pan or barbecue grill over high heat. Brush bug tails with oil and sprinkle with lemon myrtle powder, then season.
5.

Grill bug tails, coloured side down, for 1 minute or until charred, then turn and cook for a further 2 minutes or until just cooked through.
6.

Spoon some of the avocado cream and Marie Rose sauce onto plates, then divide iceberg wedges among plates. Top with bug tails and tomato, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, scatter with parsley, and season, to serve.