Sauce Nantua
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Béchamel sauce (see recipe) — 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Cooked crayfish or shrimp shells and trimmings — 150 g (5 oz)
- Butter — 75 g (5 tbsp)
- Heavy cream — 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp)
- Cognac or brandy — 15 ml (1 tbsp)
- Tomato paste — 10 g (2 tsp)
- Salt and cayenne pepper — to taste
Method
- Pound or process crayfish/shrimp shells with softened butter until a coarse paste forms, to make crayfish butter.
- Gently melt the crayfish butter in a saucepan over low heat, then strain through a fine sieve, discarding solids, to
- yield a clear reddish butter.
- Warm béchamel in a separate saucepan; whisk in the strained crayfish butter, tomato paste and cognac.
- Stir in cream and simmer gently 5 minutes until silky and rosy pink.
- Season with salt and cayenne to taste.
Cultural Background: A luxurious pink sauce made from béchamel enriched with crayfish butter and cream, sauce Nantua is named for the town of Nantua near Lyon, historically known for its freshwater crayfish, and is traditionally served over quenelles or fish.
Tips: • Don't let the crayfish butter overheat when melting, or it can turn oily rather than staying emulsified. • Reserve a few whole cooked crayfish tails to garnish the finished dish.
Variations: • Use shrimp shells as a more accessible substitute for crayfish. • Add a few cooked crayfish tails directly into the finished sauce for texture.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 2 days in an airtight container; best used fresh.
Reheating: Reheat very gently over low heat, whisking constantly; do not boil. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 85 kcal, 1.5 g protein, 7.5 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate per 30 ml serving. FAQs What is sauce Nantua traditionally served with? Quenelles de brochet (pike dumplings), a specialty of the Lyon region, and other delicate fish dishes. Can I substitute the crayfish? Yes, shrimp or langoustine shells make a good, more widely available substitute.
FAQs: What is sauce Nantua traditionally served with? Quenelles de brochet (pike dumplings), a specialty of the Lyon region, and other delicate fish dishes. Can I substitute the crayfish? Yes, shrimp or langoustine shells make a good, more widely available substitute.
- Béchamel sauce (see recipe) — 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Cooked crayfish or shrimp shells and trimmings — 150 g (5 oz)
- Butter — 75 g (5 tbsp)
- Heavy cream — 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp)
- Cognac or brandy — 15 ml (1 tbsp)
- Tomato paste — 10 g (2 tsp)
- Salt and cayenne pepper — to taste
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