CHEF and blogger Paul James writes for our paper.
Being a Birmingham lad, I can’t wait for the final series of ‘Peaky Blinders’ and with all of the euphoria being whipped up about the final series starting at the end of the month and the red carpet screening of the the first episode of the series being held in Broad Street’s Cineworld this week, it got me thinking about a dish I created using my own blend of herbs and spices a couple of years back.
I think most of you may of heard of the world famous ‘Maine Lobster Rolls’ originating from the east coast of the United States, first documented in Milford, Connecticut, in 1929, but its origins head directly straight back to Maine.
Tender pieces of luxurious fresh lobster, droplets of freshly squeezed lemon juice, crispy lettuce and crunchy celery, mixed with smooth velvety mayonnaise, seasoned to perfection and served on….’hot dog rolls’. Really? Why not bang them on a ‘hamburger bun’? Oh hang on, they do that too…….
So not to be outdone by our neighbours across the pond, I created my own personalised ‘Peaky Blinder’ Birmingham crayfish tail rolls using my own special blend of herbs and spices and served on beautifully griddled ciabatta.
Now obviously I can’t give away my secret blend for this dish, just as the white suited gentleman with his secret chicken recipe cannot divulge his – purely because I’m planning on manufacturing my own herbs and spice seasoning and flavoured sea salts in the near future.
But this ‘crayfish roll’ is still a perfect substitute for the the more indulgent counterpart.
Trust me the flavours are amazing and much cheaper to buy and get hold of than lobster, which took me back when shopping for the ingredients at the local supermarket – I asked the assistant if they sold crayfish tails. With a bemused look on this youngster’s face she bleated out ‘No, but we have them crab stick thingies in aisle four’.
I decided not to ask for fresh scallops or she would have directed me to the nearest chippy!
Now here’s a thought maybe I should have got myself a burger stand like the ones they used to have in city centres in the 70s and 80s and sold my soon to be famous ‘Brummagem Craydish Tail Rolls’ on the red carpet outside the cinema to the cast as they go in…..
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‘Peaky Blinder’ style Brummagem Crayfish Tail Rolls
Ingredients
Tub of cooked crayfish tails
5tbsp mayonnaise
1tbsp lemon juice
2 celery stringed and diced
Lettuce shredded
Small pinch of cayenne , plus extra to serve
1tsp of mild curry powder
1tbsp butter
Snipped chives
Sea salt flakes and pepper to taste
Ciabatta bread sliced in half and toasted (I used a griddle pan).
Method
1. In a heated frying pan add the butter and give it a swirl, let it start to foam and turn slightly brown, this will give it a nutty flavour.
2. Add the cayenne and mild curry powder, gently keep stirring for a minute or so.
3. Take off the heat and let it cool right down.
4. Add the crayfish tails and gently mix with the lightly spiced buttery mix.
5. In a bowl add the mayonnaise, lemon juice and celery, gently combine together.
6. Now add the crayfish mix. Fold gently through.
7. Then add the shredded lettuce and chives, once again fold through really gently.
8. Season to taste, you may want to add more lemon juice, it’s totally up to you.
9. Serve on some griddled ciabatta bread. Enjoy.
