Barbequed Marron with Garlic & Herb Butter

Method

1. Place both pinenuts and capsicum on separate trays in oven and heat to 100ºC. Remove pinenuts when toasted, approx. 10–15 mins. Turn capsicum until blackened on all sides. Remove to a plastic bag.
2. Split marron or other shellfish in half and cut down the middle and remove the digestive tract. Wash out 'mustard' from the head if preferred. Brush shell and flesh with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat BBQ or grill. Melt butter, add garlic, parsley and chives and cook until aromatic and slightly golden. Add lemon juice and remove from heat, but keep warm.
4. Place marron on BBQ flesh side down, for about 1 minute, then turn over, spoon over some herb and garlic butter and cook shell side down until just cooked through, approx. 3 minutes.
5. For salad: toss vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar, skin and slice capsicum. Layer mixed leaves, witlof, capsicum and pinenuts in a bowl and toss through vinaigrette. Serve with marrons with extra butter spooned over the top and some crusty bread, if desired.

Lydney's note: Marron is the largest of Australia’s freshwater crayfish. They can also be cooked in a 200ºC oven. If shellfish is live, stun, but don’t fully freeze for approx. 45 minutes. Then split. See rspca.org.au for more details.