Poach large prawns à la nage in an aromatic French court-bouillon flavoured with fennel, star anise and dill. Serve the seafood with its fragrant cooking broth.
Put all the ingredients except the prawns or crayfish into a pan with the water. Bring to the boil and gently for 15 minutes. Ideally, this should be left overnight to infuse and then re-boiled when ready to use.
Add the prawns or crayfish to this ‘nage’ and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Take them out and serve hot in a bowl with some of the strained over them and scatter with a few sprigs of dill or dill flowers.
This recipe connects to Stock Making Fundamentals — learn the technique step by step in the video lessons.
Shrimp cook in minutes — watch for the curl and the color change, then get them off the heat immediately. If you'd like to go deeper, Stock Making Fundamentals covers this in full.
If you'd ever like hands-on guidance for your own kitchen or restaurant, I also offer 1-on-1 coaching through OCS, or you can reach me directly for consulting at 911ChefEric.com.
Recipes come out right when you understand the method. Chef Eric’s courses teach the foundations step by step — knife skills, stocks, soups and classic French technique — with video lessons and short quizzes. Not sure where to start? OCRS™ will build your roadmap in five questions.
