Black rice with river crayfish

Method

1. Immerse the crayfish in a large pan of boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain and cool in water and ice. 
2. Shell and keep the tail meat, removing the intestinal vein. 
3. Make 4 ravioli out of fresh pasta mixture and fill each one with 3 lightly seasoned crayfish tails.
4. Heat 60 g oil and fry the onion, carrot and celery until golden, add the prawn shells and continue to brown. 
5. Pour over the wine and evaporate off. 
6. Add about 1 litre of the crayfish cooking water and cook without lid until the liquid is reduced to 250 ml. 
7. Pass through a sieve, pressing well and add the tomato concentrate and cream. Adjust seasoning and reduce a little further.
8. Heat the rest of the oil in a heavy-based pan and brown the shallot and garlic. 
9. Add the rice, stirring until it is well coated and slightly starting to change colour. 
10. Continue cooking by adding the boiling hot crayfish cooking water a little at a time. 
11. When the risotto is ready, remove from the heat and beat to a creamy consistency with the butter, cheese and chopped crayfish tails (keep 8 aside for decoration), then adjust seasoning.
12. Meanwhile you should have cooked the ravioli in boiling salted water. Drain and place in the crayfish liqueur.
13. Serve the risotto in individual dishes garnished with a ravioli, 2 crayfish and a cress sprig on top. 
14. Drizzle the crayfish liqueur around the risotto and serve piping hot.

Chef's tip

If you want to make this recipe a little lighter, simply don't add the butter.

Serving suggestion

Great with a nice leafy salad and/or a vegetable side-dish.

Wine selection

Chardonnay Poggio alle Fate Toscana IGT, Soave DOC or another dry white wine of your choice. Sparkling white wine is a good pairing too.

Family tip

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Dish history

Native to China, black rice is now cultivated in Italy, in Pianura Padana too. Chinese emperors used to value it because of its nutritional and aphrodisiac properties - this variety was therefore called 'the forbidden rice'. Rich in fibre and phosphorous, as well as in calcium, iron, zinc and selenium, the black rice releases a delicate, aromatic perfume, something between sandalwood and freshly baked bread. Enjoy this original recipe, in which these tiny scented rice grains have a close encounter with crayfish, parmesan and a delicious 'liqueur'!