Chef John Folse: Creole crawfish and andouille risotto

(WVUE) - The key feature in a good risotto is perfectly cooked rice. This recipe is also a great use for leftover crawfish tails from your last crawfish boil.

Prep Time: 1 Hour

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 pound crawfish tails

1½ cups arborio rice

¼ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup diced andouille sausage

½ cup diced onions

¼ cup diced celery

¼ cup diced green bell pepper

¼ cup diced yellow bell pepper

2 tbsps minced garlic

½ cup diced carrots

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 large Creole tomato, peeled, seeded and minced

½ cup dry white wine

4 cups hot seafood stock, divided

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and black pepper to taste

granulated garlic to taste

¼ cup thinly sliced chives

Method:

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add andouille, onions, celery, bell peppers, minced garlic and carrots. Sauté 2–3 minutes or until vegetables are wilted, stirring occasionally. Add rice and cook 2 minutes or until grains turn white and opaque, stirring constantly. Add cayenne and tomato, stirring to incorporate, then stir in wine and cook until wine is absorbed by rice. Add 1 cup hot stock and cook 4 minutes or until absorbed, stirring occasionally.  Add remaining stock, 1 cup at a time, allowing each cup to be absorbed before each addition. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Stir in crawfish and cream and cook 2–3 minutes or until heated through. Stir in Parmesan then season to taste using salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Cover, remove from heat then let stand 3 minutes. To serve, mound risotto in 4 warmed bowls and garnish with chives.