[usr 5]
Cook the crayfish, previously castrated*, in court-bouillon or salted water for 4 minutes and cool under cold water. Separate the heads from the tails of 28 crayfish and set aside 4 whole. Reserve the heads, shell the tails, keep warm.
Put the olive oil in a saucepan on the heat, throw in the crayfish chests, let brown well, add the carrot, the onion and chopped celery. Deglaze with the cognac, let reduce, add the white wine, then the bouquet garni. Boil for 5 minutes and add 2 liters of water. Let cook for 20 minutes. Then pass through a fine sieve, pressing well on the elements to collect all the juices. Put this juice back to reduce until you obtain about 2 glasses of liquid (20 cl). Set aside.
Put the champagne and sugar in a sauté pan, cook gently until caramelization begins to take place. At this point add the cream and the crayfish stock. Leave to reduce again.
Distribute the crayfish tails in porcelain egg cups*, place them on plates, decorate with the whole crayfish, put them in the hot oven for 2 minutes.
Cooking having reduced by half, give two turns of the pepper mill and salt. Take out the egg cups and distribute the sauce in each, adding a few sprigs of chervil.
* Remove the central casing by the tail, the crayfish is alive, ask your fishmonger instead.
* Or carefully cut a hat on eggs, empty them, remove the inner skin, and garnish with device, it's more original but also more tedious.
Joëlle's point of view:
I practiced "trucking" crayfish, it's not easy, it consists of turning the legs backwards and sticking the end of the claw in the tail, all without tearing the leg from the body. Following the chef's advice, just do this operation raw, that is to say the live crayfish goes by itself, it seems Easy to say...
