Charred Bug Tails with Lime Leaf Butter

Lunch | Australian

Prep time: 20 min Cook time: 8 min Servings: 4

Moreton Bay bugs don’t get nearly as much attention as they deserve. They’re a native Australian crustacean, a type of slipper lobster, with sweet, firm white flesh and a flavour that sits richer than a prawn but more delicate than lobster. This recipe is as simple as it gets: halve the bugs, char the flesh side hard on a hot BBQ grill, flip, then let them finish with dollops of lime leaf butter melting over the top as they cook. The lime leaves give the butter a fragrant, floral citrus quality that suits the sweetness of the bug meat well. It looks like a lot of effort on the plate and it isn’t.

The lime leaf butter takes five minutes in a food processor and can be made the day before. Once that’s done, the cook is 6 to 8 minutes. The key is getting the grill properly hot before anything goes on: you want immediate charring on the flesh side, not slow steaming. If you see the bugs releasing liquid when they hit the grill, the temperature wasn’t high enough. One thing to know before you start: the orange material inside the shell is roe. Don’t rinse it out. It’s rich, creamy and the best part of the bug.

Ingredient Notes

Moreton Bay bugs: Moreton Bay bugs (also sold as Balmain bugs) are a native Australian crustacean available whole and raw at fish markets and good seafood retailers, particularly in coastal cities. Look for bugs with firm, bright flesh and shells that don’t smell ammonia. They’re often pre-halved at the fishmonger, which saves time. If you can’t find them, lobster tails halved lengthways or large yabbies are the best alternatives and will work with the same cook time and technique.

Lime leaves: The lime leaves here are kaffir lime leaves (also called makrut lime leaves), a Southeast Asian ingredient with a fragrant, floral citrus aroma that’s quite different from regular lime zest. Finely chopping them is important: the leaves are fibrous and won’t break down in the food processor unless they’re already well chopped. You’ll find them fresh or frozen at Asian grocery stores. If you can’t source them, finely grated lime zest (from 1 lime) is the closest substitute in terms of citrus character, though the floral note won’t be there.

Unsalted butter at room temperature: Unsalted butter gives you full control over the salt level in the compound butter, since you’re seasoning it separately. Room temperature is important for the food processor step: cold butter won’t blend smoothly around the chopped lime leaves and you’ll end up with uneven distribution. Take it out of the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before you start. Soft butter also melts more evenly when dolloped over the hot bugs, pooling into the flesh rather than sitting on top as a cold slab.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Small food processor
BBQ grill with lid
Tongs
Tray or baking sheet
Serving platter
Small bowl or ramekin

Ingredients

4 whole raw bugs
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt, to season
Lime butter
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 lime leaves, finely chopped
sea salt, to season
¼ tsp white pepper

Directions

Prep the butter
Combine the butter, lime leaves, pinch of salt and the pepper in a small food processor and pulse until the lime leaves are evenly distributed.
Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just make sure you take it out of the fridge a few minutes before using so it comes down in temp.
Prep the bugs
Halve the bugs from head to tail straight through the shell. Devein and place on a tray.
Drizzle the flesh side with the oil and season with salt.
BBQ and serve
Preheat the BBQ grill over high heat. Place the bugs on the grill, flesh side down for 2 minutes, with the BBQ lid closed.
Turn the bugs over and with the shell side on the grill, dollop half of the butter over the flesh.
Continue to cook for a further 3-4 minutes, then transfer to a tray.
Arrange the bugs on a platter, then dollop the flesh with the remaining butter. Serve warm.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Get the grill hot before the bugs go on

You want immediate, hard charring on the flesh side, not slow steaming. Preheat the BBQ grill on high for several minutes. The grill bars should leave visible char marks within the first 30 seconds of contact. If the bugs are releasing liquid and sitting in it rather than charring, the temperature wasn’t high enough. Close the BBQ lid for the first 2 minutes to trap heat and cook the top of the flesh while the bottom chars, which reduces the total cook time and keeps the meat moist.

Don’t rinse out the roe

When you halve the bugs, you’ll see orange material inside the shell. That’s the roe, and it’s the richest, most flavourful part of the bug. Some people rinse it out thinking it shouldn’t be there. Don’t. As the bugs cook on the grill, the roe warms and mingles with the lime leaf butter, and you scoop it up with the flesh when you eat. It has a creamy, briny, intensely savoury quality that you won’t get anywhere else in the dish.

Storage

The lime leaf butter keeps covered in the fridge for up to a week, or rolled in baking paper and frozen for up to a month. It’s worth making a double batch to keep on hand for other seafood. Raw whole bugs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Once cooked, bugs are best eaten on the day. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 1 day and are good eaten cold.

FAQs

Can I prep this ahead? Yes. The lime leaf butter can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge, or frozen for up to a month. The bugs can be halved, deveined and kept on a tray in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. Once everything is prepped, the cook is just 6 to 8 minutes.

Can I use lobster tails or yabbies instead of bugs? Yes, both work well with the same technique. Lobster tails halved lengthways cook in roughly the same time depending on size. Large yabbies are smaller, so reduce the total cook time by a minute or two and keep a close eye on them. The lime leaf butter suits both well.

Can I make the butter without a food processor? Yes. Finely chop the lime leaves as small as you can get them, then work them into the softened butter with a fork or spatula until evenly distributed. It takes more effort to get the leaves fine enough to avoid chewy bits in the butter, but it works. A mortar and pestle to pound the leaves first makes the job easier.