This dish is a great way to get the most out of our rivers’ most luxurious offering: crayfish. The mushrooms and white sauce provide a silky, nutty base, and the fresh ingredients lift the flavour of the sweet meat (like a milder version of lobster) beautifully. It’s the perfect recipe to impress on a warm summer’s evening!
Serves – 2
Foraged Ingredients
- 2 handfuls of cooked and prepared crayfish tails (or as much as you can catch!) Read our guide on catching and preparing crayfish here
- 3 large handfuls of mixed wild mushrooms, roughly torn into large chunks
Other Ingredients
- 150g linguine
- Splash of olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, sliced
- Small glass of white wine
- 50ml double cream
- 1 lemon, half juiced, half cut into wedges to serve
- Scattering of parsley
Method
- In a large pan of well-salted boiling water, cook the linguine according to the instructions on the pack.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the garlic and cook for 1 min. Be careful that the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry for 2 mins.
- Pour in the white wine and leave it to bubble for 1 min. Pour in the cream, stir, and cook for 2 mins. Add the crayfish and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Tear and add most of the parsley, reserving a few leaves to garnish.
- Drain the pasta and add to the sauce in the frying pan; continue to stir over a low heat for a minute to combine the flavours.
- Serve garnished with the rest of the parsley and lemon wedges.
Expert’s Tip
Crayfish are most active at night. If you are using a trap, consider leaving it overnight to maximise your haul. Check out our crayfishing guide for extra tips!