Crayfish risotto

For ➍
3 tbs olive oil
½ onion, chopped
300 g Arborio rice
25 cl dry white wine
5 dl fish stock*
500 g crayfish meat
100 g peas
parsley, chopped
salt & pepper

Heat olive oil. Add onions and cook until nearly translucent. Add rice and stir in over medium heat. After 30 s, add ¼ to ½ of the wine. Lower the heat, and stir the rice into the evaporating wine. Repeat until you've used all the wine.

Add ¼ to ½ of stock. Repeat until you've used all the stock. (After ½ of the stock, add the crayfish meat. After ¾ of the stock, add peas.)

Salt and pepper to taste.

Decorate with parsley.

*Replace 2 tbs with Thai fish or shrimp sauce, if possible.

Read the tip on making a quick risotto.

Saffron noodles with crayfish

For ➍
250 g fresh noodles
12 crayfish*
1 zucchini, cut in rounds
1 clove of garlic, chopped
6 mint leaves, shredded
6 basil leaves, shredded
60 g pine nuts
8 cl olive oil
1 capsule saffron powder
salt & freshly ground pepper

Heat water in a pan with a pinch of salt. When boiling, drop the noodles in, add the saffron and let cook for 3 m. Transfer to a recipient and drain.
Heat 2 tbs of oil, and sauté the zucchini for 5 m.
Heat 1 tbs of oil. Sauté the crayfish and pine nuts for 2 m.
Drain the noodles. Heat remaining oil. Add the pasta and the chopped garlic and sauté for 3 m.
Add zucchini, crayfish, pine nuts, mint and basil leaves, and mix. Add some salt and pepper.
Serve with a glass of cool but not cold Muscadet.

*Use large prawns instead.

Crayfish & endives @ microwave

For ➊
175 g cleaned fresh crayfish*/***
15 g butter
1½ tbs cognac
3 tbs cream
6 leaves of endives**
salt & pepper

Melt the butter in 45 s on high. Add the crayfish for 2 m on high.***

Put the crayfish apart. Add salt and pepper, cognac and cream to the butter. Heat 4 m on high.

Add crayfish and endives to the sauce and heat for 30 s on high.

Serve with a slice of lemon and fresh toast. Or serve small portions as an appetizer.

*You can use tiger prawns instead.
**You can use Roman lettuce instead.
***You can use pre-cooked crayfish instead. Omit the baking.

Tartar of shrimps & artichokes

For ➋
2 artichoke hearts
4 large prawns (uncooked, shells on)*
1 tbs olive oil
3 branches parsley
3 branches coriander
1 ts walnut oil
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
juice of ½ lemon
1 egg yolk
½ lemon, sliced into wedges

Chop the coriander and parsley. Cut the artichokes into cubes and sprinkle with 1 tbs of lemon juice. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the artichoke cubes and sauté for 1 m.
Heat another frying pan over medium heat. Sear the prawns on both sides for 1 m.
Remove the pans from the heat and set aside.
In a bowl, mix together the prawns, artichokes, parsley, coriander, walnut oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Break the egg yolk and mix into the mix and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

*Substitute crayfish for the prawns and it becomes a dish from Friuli.

A classic Sicilian appetizer.
Read more Sicilian recipes: Sicilian swordfish, Sicilian olive sauce, a Sicilian salad, Sicilian broccoli, spaghetti with tomatoes, capers & mint.

Cajun crayfish etouffee

For ➍
100 g butter**
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded & finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 stalks of celery, finely chopped
bunch of green spring onions, finely chopped
½ ts salt and ½ ts garlic powder, mixed
1 tbs dried parsley
½ ts chili powder
½ ts pepper
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
500 g crayfish, cleaned*
25 g flour, sifted
20 cl chicken broth (keep an extra 20 cl for adjusting the quantity)

In a large skillet, melt butter and sauté vegetables on low heat, except green onions. Add seasonings and stir well.
Add crayfish* and sauté for 1 m.
Add flour and mix well, and cook 3 more m.**
Add chicken broth. Mix well and simmer 15 m. Add green onions 3 m before conclusion.
Serve over hot (basmati) rice.*** A side-dish of sautéed greens is a good accompaniment, as is a cold beer.

*You can use prawns, firm fish. Or chicken filets, cut in chunks.
**In the traditional recipe, a white roux is made this way. Then add to the vegetables and crayfish*. Diminish amount of butter for braiséing with 25 g.
***Sauté 4 tbs of finely chopped shallot in 2 tbs olive oil, then add the water, bring to the boil. Add rice and cook.

Crayfish étouffée is a classic Cajun dish from Louisiana, mixing French cuisine, black slaves' traditions and local wisdom.