Provençal redfish stew @ microwave

For ➍
4 200 g redfish fillets
4 tomatoes
4 shallots
250 g mushrooms
2 zucchini
1 red pepper
2 cloves of garlic
10 cl olive oil
roux (optional)
1 ts herbes de Provence
2 tbs chopped parsley
salt & pepper

Drop the tomatoes in boiling water, cool immediately in cold water. Peel and remove the seeds. Cut the flesh into strips. Chop the shallots finely. Crush the garlic. Cut the mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper into cubes .
Coat a microwave bowl with olive oil. Cover the bottom with the shallots, garlic and mixed herbs. Season with salt and pepper, cover and heat 4 m at 750 W.
Add the sliced ​​tomatoes, diced mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook 3 m at 850 W. Coat another microwave bowl with olive oil. Spread the fillets evenly and cover with the vegetables. Cover and heat 6 m at 850 W. Let stand for 2 m. Bind with a light roux.*
Serve on warm plates. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pasta or fried rice.

*Discard the roux to get a more ratatouille side-dish.

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.