Yabby sandwiches with eggplant, watercress and mayonnaise

ingredients

• Yabby sandwiches with eggplant, watercress and mayonnaise

  • 2 large (1kg) eggplant, peeled
  • coarse salt
  • 36 cooked or uncooked extra large yabbies
  • 1 cup (250ml) olive oil
  • 1 large loaf (800g) sourdough bread
  • 1 bunch chives, chopped finely
  • sea salt flakes
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 bunch (350g) watercress (4 cups 110g trimmed)

• Mayonnaise

  • 3 egg yolks, preferably free-range organic
  • 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon boiling water, optional

method

• Yabby sandwiches with eggplant, watercress and mayonnaise

  • 1

    To make mayonnaise whisk egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and salt in a ceramic bowl until combined. Add oil, drop by drop, whisking constantly, until half has been added. Then continue to whisk in remaining oil in a thin, steady stream. Whisk in boiling water for a slightly looser consistency, if desired.

  • 2

    Slice eggplant thinly; place in a single layer on wire racks, sprinkle with salt; stand 30 minutes.

  • 3

    Meanwhile, if yabbies are alive, place in the freezer for 2 hours. Twist tails from uncooked yabbies. (You can freeze the claws and heads to make stock at a later date.) If yabbies are cooked, go to step 4. Add yabby tails to a medium pan of boiling, well-salted water; remove from heat and leave tails to cook gently for 2-3 minutes or until just translucent; drain, cool slightly.

  • 4

    Cut yabby tails in half with large, sharp knife, scraping away the intestinal tract.

  • 5

    Pat eggplant slices dry with absorbent paper. Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan; fry eggplant slices in batches until well browned on both sides; drain well on absorbent paper.

  • 6

    Slice bread into 24 thin slices, lay in pairs and spread each slice generously with the mayonnaise. Sprinkle chives over half the slices and top with eggplant, then yabby tails. Season well with sea salt and pepper. Add a few tiny dollops of the remaining mayonnaise in the gaps, top with watercress and the remaining bread slices. Cut each sandwich into halves, thirds or quarters, depending on the bread size.

  • 7

    Serve sandwiches on a board or platter. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.