Non-VegetarianAustralian cuisine Starters

Barbecued Marron-Style Freshwater Yabbies with Garlic

Name: Barbecued Marron-Style Freshwater Yabbies with Garlic
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 1 kg live freshwater yabbies; 120 g Unsalted butter; 4 cloves Garlic; 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1 tbsp Lemon juice; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 0.5 tsp sea salt flakes; 0.25 tsp freshly cracked black pepper; 1 whole Lemon

Sweet freshwater yabbies split and charred over a hot barbecue, basted with rich garlic butter and fresh lemon.

🇦🇺Australia· Western Australia

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 340 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

1 kg live freshwater yabbies — chilled in ice slurry, about 16 to 20 yabbies
120 g Unsalted butter — softened to room temperature
4 cloves Garlic — finely minced
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
1 tbsp Lemon juice — freshly squeezed
1 tbsp Olive oil — for brushing the hotplate
½ tsp sea salt flakes — to season
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper — to season
1 whole Lemon — cut into wedges, to serve

Equipment

•Barbecue grill or flat-top hotplate
•Heavy cook's knife
•Barbecue tongs
•Small mixing bowl
•Basting brush or spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 340 kcal
fat: 25 g
carbs: 2 g
fibre: 0 g
protein: 28 g
calories: 340 kcal

Instructions

1
Humanely dispatch chilled yabbies by splitting them lengthwise down the centre using a heavy cook's knife.
2
Rinse head cavities gently under cold running water and pat split halves dry with paper towels.
3
Mix softened butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
4
Preheat your barbecue grill or hotplate to medium-high heat and brush lightly with olive oil.
5
Place yabbies flesh-side down on the hot grill and cook for two minutes until lightly charred.
6
Turn yabbies over shell-side down onto the barbecue using tongs.
7
Spoon generous amounts of garlic butter directly over the exposed flesh of each yabby half.
8
Grill for another two to three minutes until shells turn bright orange-red and meat turns opaque.
9
Transfer immediately to a warm serving platter, pouring over any remaining melted garlic butter.

Chef's tips

Chilling yabbies thoroughly in an ice slurry makes them completely dormant and easy to handle humanely before splitting. Watch cooking times carefully because freshwater crustacean meat turns dry and rubbery if overcooked by even a minute.

Ingredient substitutions

yabbies → fresh marron, Moreton Bay bugs, or split green king prawns
butter → extra virgin olive oil or plant-based butter for a dairy-free baste

Storage

Store leftover picked yabby meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a warm frypan with a small knob of butter over low heat just until warmed through.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overcooking the yabbies on high heat, which quickly dries out their delicate, sweet meat.
•Failing to rinse the head cavity after splitting, leaving behind bitter digestive juices.
•Cooking on a lukewarm hotplate, which steams the meat instead of creating savoury char.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately off the barbecue with warm crusty bread to mop up the garlic butter.Pair with a fresh green garden salad and a chilled South West white wine or craft beer.Provide extra lemon wedges and small finger bowls of warm water with lemon slices.