Restaurant Amusé’s Marron, avocado and saltbush

Serves six

For the avocado cream

• 6 live marron
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 shallots
• 1 head garlic
• 2 sticks lemongrass
• 50g tomato paste
• 2 litres water
• 0.5 lemon
• 200g cream

To serve

• 1 large avocado
• 150g milk
• 0.5 lemon
• 0 salt

Step 1
Placing marron in the freezer renders them insensible, and they can then be quickly dispatched by piercing the brain with a sharp knife: aim at the small cross on top of the creature’s head.

Step 2
Marron can then be easily halved by following through with the knife and cutting towards the tail.

Step 3
Start them flesh side down on a well-oiled grill – preferably one fired by charcoal – and turn when the shells turn bright red.

Step 4
Basting the marron with melted butter (seasoned with herbs and spices, if desired) towards the end of the grilling process won’t hurt, either.

Step 5
Heads and claws from the marron.

Step 6
To put marron to sleep, place in freezer for 15 minutes.

Step 7
Remove head and claws and reserve for stock.

Step 8
Using kitchen scissors, cut down each marron’s shell and remove tail meat.

Step 9
Remove intestinal tract.

Step 10
For marron stock, toast aromatics and marron heads and claws for five minutes in bottom of a pressure cooker.

Step 11
Add tomato paste and sauté for two minutes.

Step 12
Add water then fit pressure cooker lid and bring to full steam.

Step 13
Cook for 20 minutes.

Step 14
Once cool, remove lid and strain liquid into saucepan.

Step 15
Reduce liquid to 300ml over a low heat.

Step 16
To finish, stir in lemon juice and cream.

Step 17
Season with lemon juice and salt to taste.

Step 18
To serve, arrange raw marron on plate and decorate with avocado cream.

Step 19
Spoon marron stock over tail meat and garnish with crisp-fried saltbush and fennel pollen.