Balmain bugs in butter, tomatoes and chilli

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Cooking difficulty: Easy

Serves:

Preparation: 20 mins

Cooking: 15 mins

Wrapping in lettuce, cabbage, spinach or even seaweed can:

1. add flavour
2. shape the seafood
3. help keep the flesh together
4. help retain moisture
Tips for using ice to chill seafood

choose snow, flake or shaved ice and surround the seafood
Tips for Steaming

Seafood can be steamed over plain water, but a concentrated stock flavoured with vegetables, herbs or citrus, for example, will impart a subtle flavour.
Tips for shallow frying

If flour is the only coating used, apply it immediately prior to cooking.

Prevent sticking by ensuring that the oil is hot before adding the seafood. But make sure the oil is not so hot that it smokes (unless preparing a Cajun-style "blackened" fish).
Tips for serving seafood cold

If the seafood is to be served cold, it should be covered to retain moisture and flavour and then placed in a chiller for an hour or even overnight.

6 Balmain bugs, cooked

olive oil for brushing

150 g softened butter

¹/³ cup olive oil

1 bird’s eye chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 x 250 g punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

leaves, finely chopped

1 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

zest of 1 lemon

sea salt and freshly

cracked black pepper

Preheat a barbecue or chargrill. Cut Balmain bugs in half lengthwise, brush with oil and grill for 1–2 minutes until charred.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan or wok, add chilli and garlic then cook for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and add tomatoes, onions, parsley, basil, lemon zest and cooked bugs.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Serve hot with baguette and watercress.

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