The Recipe Room

Using crayfish tails can be very versatile and will make simple and tasty dishes. They also give off a certain luxurious and gourmet sensation as they are often considered a delicacy. Crayfish meat is, apart from being yummy, packed with the good nutrient selenium and great as a substitute for meat if you are on a diet, as it is very low in fat. It is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12 and other vitamins.

Be careful where you get your seafood from, as it may be contaminated with toxins, such as mercury, if harvested in polluted waters. On a positive note, crabs are thought to have a lower risk of mercury than other types of seafood. (Try these Thai crab cakes. Yum yum!)

Here is an easy and tasty crab meat dish that combines courgette and mango for an extra twist. Topped with a yoghurt dressing, this provides a low-fat and healthy meal. And most importantly – it tastes good!

What we need:

• 375g of rice
• 1 leek
• 350g crayfish tails, cleaned and de-shelled
• 2 mangos
• 1 small courgette
• 60g shredded carrots
• 60g lamb’s lettuce
• 1 small red onion
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 3 pinches of salt
• 2 pinches of pepper

Yoghurt dressing:

• 2 dl of natural yoghurt
• 1 grated clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon of French mustard
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1 teaspoon of honey

How to make it:

1. Wash and boil the rice according to instructions on the package.
2. Wash and cut the leek and onion into slices. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the veggies.
3. Add the crab tails.
4. Cut the courgette into small pieces.
5. Peel the mangos and cut into cubes.
6. Mix the courgette and mangos into the frying pan, and when the rice is ready, mix it into the frying pan.
7. Carefully mix it all together and add the shredded carrots, salt and pepper.
8. Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together and use about a tablespoon for each portion of crab tail rice.
9. Place a small portion of the lamb’s lettuce on a plate and serve the rice on top.

Serves: 4
Time needed: 20 minutes
Level: Easy

When I have friends over for drinks before going out on the weekend, I always try to serve them some nibbles of something nice like an appetizer or canapés. There are a wide variety of options, but adding a little bread for carbohydrates gives you energy and helps prepare your system for a fun time out with friends!

Here is a recipe for courgette canapés with crayfish and avocado which is quick and easy, and helps avoid the laborious effort of making a full dinner. Needless to say, as a student, I can’t really afford to treat my friends to dinner every time we meet, but these snacks fill us up surprisingly fast and help me look like a fantastic hostess in front of my guests.

However, small “tapas-style” finger foods are great because they don’t cost me a fortune. They are good in social environments since we have to pass the plates around and eat with our fingers while chatting, drinking, and on the really rowdy nights, singing.

Put these on the table together with some other hot and cold nibbles, and your friends will leave the house happy for sure!

What we need:

• 1 large courgette
• 340g of crayfish tails
• 1 avocado
• 200ml of grated cheddar cheese
• 100ml of crème fraîche
• 100ml of chopped dill
• the juice and some finely grated peel of one lemon
• 4 pinches of pepper

How we make it:

1. Wash and chop the courgette into slices around 1/2 centimetre thick, about 24.
2. Pour the crème fraîche in a bowl and add the crayfish tails (peel and wash if needed).
3. Peel and chop the avocado into small pieces. Add to the crème fraîche.
4. Grate the cheese and add to the mixture.
5. Grate some of the lemon peel and add to the mixture and the juice from the lemon.
6. Chop the dill and add to the mixture.
7. Add the pepper.
8. Mix everything carefully.
9. Place a tablespoon of the mixture on top of the corgette canapés and place them on a place.

Enjoy!

Serves: 4-6 (24 canapés)
Time needed: 20 minutes
Level: easy