Georgia East, highly respected cook, writer, food stylist, photographer and author of West Coast Wander and her beautiful blog East Afternoon, has shared her delicious recipe for Crayfish Risotto.

• Imagine crayfish bathed in a rich paprika browned butter for the upcoming festive season.
• Pair that with arborio rice simmered in homemade seafood stock.
• Top it all off with the right kind of Cap Classique and it’s a meal made in heaven.
• Visit www.sandtontimes.co.za for more stories.

Been looking for some new recipes to try out over the Summer holidays? Well, there can’t be anything more South African than a crayfish dish with loads of flavour, paired with some chilled bubbly.

CRAYFISH RISOTTO RECIPE
Preparation Time: 20 min | Cooking Time: 40 min | Serves 4

CRAYFISH AND ARBORIO RICE

INGREDIENTS
3-4 whole crayfish
1 large head of celery, halved
2 large onions or four shallots, peeled and finely chopped
8-10 black peppercorns
1-2 fennel bulbs, stalks removed (reserving the fronds) and finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons of salted butter
Coarse ground sea salt and black pepper
250ml of Krone Vintage Rosé Cuvée Brut
1 cup (250ml) of arborio rice, rinsed to get rid of any excess starch
1 to 2 litres of water
A 100g wedge of Parmesan cheese, finely grated

BROWNED BUTTER

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Sea salt

METHOD FOR CRAYFISH AND ARBORIO RICE
1. If using live crayfish, swiftly and humanely despatch them with a sharp blade to the head or by immersing them in fresh water for 20 minutes. If using frozen, be sure to defrost entirely before cooking. If using tails, have a readymade fish or vegetable stock at hand and proceed from the next step. For the crayfish stock, set a large pot of water over high heat. Once boiling, plunge the crayfish into the pot, along with half the head of celery (leaves included) and an onion or two shallots. Add in a few black peppercorns if desired. Boil the crayfish for 10 minutes for medium size and 15 minutes if large. Once cooked, remove the crayfish from the pot and set aside to cool. Skim any foam or scum from the top of the stock and strain, discarding the peppercorns, celery and onion. Set the stock aside until needed.

2. Once cooled, twist off the crayfish tails and legs, discarding the body carapace. Use a sharp knife to split each tail in half and remove the alimentary canal, rinsing the tail clean under cold water if needs be. Crack open the legs and reserve the meat. Set the tails aside until needed.

3. In a casserole over medium heat, gently cook up the onion or shallots in the butter until they are soft and translucent. Finely chop the remaining celery and with the chopped fennel, add to the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry over high heat for a further minute or two. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.

4. Rinse the arborio rice under cold water until it runs clear. Add the rice to the casserole and stir through the vegetables before deglazing the pot with the Cap Classique. Leave to cook for a minute or two before lowering the heat to medium. Pour in the crayfish stock and stir until all the liquid has been absorbed. If the rice is not yet cooked through, add a little water, stirring throughout.

5. To check that your rice is cooked, simply press a grain between your thumb and forefinger – if it has slight give before squashing, then it is ready. Once cooked, stir in the crayfish leg meat and the grated Parmesan cheese. Keep the risotto warm until ready to serve.

Use sustainably harvested West Coast Rock Lobster (Jasus lalandii) or opt for farmed crayfish tails. Equally as delicious when using fresh or frozen crayfish. Cooking up a speedy stock using the crayfish shells, celery and shallots makes all the difference.

// Georgia East

METHOD FOR PAPRIKA BROWNED BUTTER
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add in the paprika and garlic. Let the garlic sauté but not brown. Add in the halved crayfish tails and fry – flesh side down – for 2-3 minutes.

TO SERVE
Divide the risotto into four warmed bowls and top each with half a crayfish tail. Finish off the dish by spooning some of the leftover paprika browned butter over the top and garnishing with a fennel frond. The risotto is ready to eat immediately.

Pairing the risotto with Krone Vintage Rosé Cuvée Brut brings out the crayfish’s delicate flavour – the Cap Classique is used both in as well as to pair with the final dish.

// Georgia East

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