Michel Roux Jr recipe

Croque aux crevettes

A really special brunch dish, this is my French take on Chinese prawn toast. These are hearty sandwiches, so if you’re serving them as part of a brunch buffet, just a half will be enough – unless you’re not planning to eat again until the evening! The walnut and coriander pesto makes a nice change from the usual basil version. The recipe makes more than you need for the sandwiches, but the pesto keeps well in the fridge for a week and is delicious with pasta.

Makes four sandwiches

450g peeled raw prawns
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 free-range egg whites
3 free-range eggs
3 tbsp whole milk
Grating of nutmeg
8 slices of sourdough bread
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 tsp red chilli flakes,
to serve (optional)
Salt and black pepper

Walnut & coriander pesto
60g walnuts
Big bunch of coriander
(about 120g),
roughly chopped
1 garlic clove,
roughly chopped
1 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 green chilli roughly
chopped, seeds removed
6 tbsp olive oil
Salt

First, make the pesto. Put the walnuts, chopped coriander, garlic, Parmesan, chilli and olive oil into a blender and blitz to make a smooth mixture. Season with salt.

Put the prawns in a food processor with the oil and egg whites and season with salt and pepper. Blitz until smooth.

Beat the whole eggs with the milk in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg, then set aside.

Divide the prawn mixture between 4 of the slices of bread, spreading it evenly, then top with the remaining slices. Cut the sandwiches in half, then dip each half into the egg mixture.

Pour some oil into a frying pan to a depth of about 1cm and heat. Shallow-fry the sandwiches, a few halves at a time, turning them until golden on all sides – this will take about 4 minutes in total. Drain the sandwiches on kitchen paper, then keep them warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.

Cut the sandwiches in half or into bite-sized pieces. Serve warm with the pesto and sprinkle a few chilli flakes on top if you want your sandwich to have a bit of a kick.

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Tarte tatin de legumes
Here we have a great French classic made into a vegetarian treat. I’ve suggested a selection of vegetables, but you can vary them according to the season and spice them up with more chilli if you like a bit of heat. Delicious as a main meal or as an accompaniment, this can be made in individual portions as well as a large tart. It’s fine to use shop-bought puff pastry – I do!

Serves four

3 small heads of red chicory
3 small heads of yellow chicory
200g slender carrots,
halved lengthways
300g kohlrabi, cut into batons
100g cauliflower florets or
sprouting broccoli, halved
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 red chilli, deseeded
and sliced
leaves from 1 thyme sprig
350g puff pastry
Flour, for dusting
Salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Cut the heads of chicory in half (or if they are large, into quarters) and put them in a bowl with the other vegetables. Add the oil and toss,
then season with salt and black pepper. Spread the vegetables over a baking tray and roast them in the oven for 8–10 minutes. The vegetables should be partly cooked and have a little colour.

Melt the butter in a large (28cm) ovenproof frying pan, then sprinkle over the sugar. Place the cooked vegetables, sliced chilli and thyme on top, making sure to pack the vegetables tightly.

Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface to 3mm thick. Place the pastry over the vegetables, tucking it in around the edges. Make a few holes in the pastry with the point of a knife, then bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool a little, then place a plate over the pan and carefully turn the pan over to invert the tart on to the plate. Serve warm.

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Buy this book: Michel Roux at Home
£26, Seven Dials

Tag: Michel Roux Jr recipe

Prawn French toast with walnut & coriander pesto by Michel Roux Jr

Root Vegetable Tart Tatin by Michel Roux Jr