Top Chefs Give Seal of Approval to Crustastun!
Having a device that can be promoted on a menu to demonstrate that live shellfish and crustacea have been humanely killed prior to cooking is proving to be a big draw for chefs.
The Crustastun, which we featured on The Chefs’ Forum recently, is a way of stunning crabs and lobster before cooking that does not involve any inhumane killing methods such as plunging into boiling water or slicing in half while still alive. The method used is a simple pulse of electricity that does the job simply and effectively.
Rupert Taylor, Executive Chef at Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort had this to say after working with Crustastun and having the machine on loan for the past two months:
“Having the Crustastun machine in the kitchen has made a real difference to the way we create our crab dishes here at Bowood.
We source the finest Brixham crab from Flying Fish in Cornwall. We have noticed a remarkable improvement in the eating quality of the crab meat owing to it being less stressed by the stunning method of dispatch, as opposed to previous methods used in the kitchen.
“It is fantastic for our waiters to be able to let the guests know that the crab has been killed humanely when they order it on the menu. Our young chefs are also more aware of the humanity of crustacean dispatch as a result of seeing and using the machine in our kitchen – a fantastic and very necessary piece of equipment.”
Check out Rupert’s stunning dish of Brixham crab, crumpet, Thai puree and yuzu in this fantastic recipe film:
Students at Coleg Gwent got try their hand at recreating the dish in a masterclass via video link on Tuesday 10th November, where they were able to connect with Rupert to give feedback and find out about his career as a chef in some of the leading kitchens!
Check out Rupert’s recipe here.
The Crustastun is a joint venture with Simon Buckhaven the inventor and Mitchell & Cooper. Simon approached M&C whilst working with a German manufacturer to produce Crustastun but wanted to bring the unit to a well-established and respected UK partner. Simon Buckhaven, remains the inventor to this day, however Mitchell & Cooper have reinvigorated the unit, optimised the design for manufacture and brought it to the forefront of the restaurant and seafood market. The appliance is unique and the result of 2 years extensive R&D at leading UK universities and other R&D establishments. It has the full backing of an extensive range of animal welfare organisations worldwide including the US, Canada, Australia and many European countries. It also has the full backing of the scientific community.
Any chefs interested in finding out more about Crustastun should contact Guy Cooper from Mitchell & Cooper on 01825 765511 or email sales@mitchellcooper.co.uk
