Traditional Crayfish Nantua Sauce Recipe, Served over Pike Quenelles Traditional crayfish Nantua sauce recipe, bisque flambéed with cognac, fish velouté and creamy texture, served over pike quenelles.

Other Names

• Nantua-style crayfish

• Crayfish Nantua sauce

Discover the traditional crayfish Nantua sauce recipe, an iconic dish from the Bugey region and Lyon, appreciated for its refinement and the nobility of its freshwater ingredients.

Alternative Ingredients (optional)

• Crustaceans: lobster, spiny lobster, spider crab, Norway lobster, langoustines, crab.

• Fish for quenelles: sole, turbot, plaice, hake, etc.

Classification

• Dish type: Main dish / Sauce

• Service: Fine dining restaurant / Brasserie

• Number of servings: 4

• Skill level: Advanced

Cultural and Historical Context

Proverb
From clear water comes the pink treasure.

Legend or Story
In the 19th century, the clear waters of Lake Nantua were abundant in Astacus crayfish. A local chef transformed them into a velvety sauce, becoming a symbol of Bugey and Lyon gastronomy and culinary heritage passed down through generations.

Geographic origin and status

• Country: France

• Region: Ain (Bugey) and Rhône (Lyon)

• Official status: None

• Inventor: Oral tradition, popularized by Escoffier

• Codified recipe: Yes

• Official specifications: Wild crayfish, flambéed with cognac, mirepoix, velouté/cream binding, peeled tails as garnish

• Certification body: N/A

Culinary Description

Plate Presentation

• Appearance: Pearly pink-orange sauce, topped with peeled crayfish tails

• Texture: Tender crayfish meat, creamy sauce

• Dominant aromas: Iodine (crayfish), dairy (cream), alcoholic (cognac)

Culinary Particularities

• Main cooking methods: Sautéing, simmering, reduction

• Key techniques: Flambéing, crushing shells, fine straining with chinois, binding velouté/cream

• Typical ingredients: Live crayfish, cognac, mirepoix, tomato paste

Necessary Utensils
Large sauté pan, chinois strainer, immersion blender, mortar, whisk, crustacean cracker, bain-marie, maryse spatula, chef’s knife, HACCP cutting board.

Ingredients (4 servings)

For Nantua Sauce

• Live crayfish: 1 kg

• Clarified butter: 50 g

• Mirepoix (carrot, onion, shallot): 100 g

• Tomato paste: 40 g

• Cognac: 10 cl

• Dry white wine: 20 cl

• Fish stock (fumet): 50 cl

• Fish velouté: 20 cl

• Liquid cream: 30 cl

• Bouquet garni, salt, pepper

• Garnish: Pike quenelles – 150 g per person

For Pike Quenelles

• Boneless pike: 500 g

• Butter: 50 g

• All-purpose flour (T55): 50 g

• Eggs: 2

• Liquid cream: 20 cl

• Salt, white pepper, grated nutmeg

Preparation and Method

General Information

• Preparation time: 30 min

• Cooking time: 20 min

• Resting time: 10 min (bain-marie)

Professional Method

1. Mise en place

• Prepare fish stock and velouté, strain through a fine chinois

• Dice mirepoix finely

• Clean crayfish (remove intestines and gills)

• Portion quenelles and prepare peeled crayfish tails for plating

2. Cooking

• Heat clarified butter and sauté crayfish

• Add mirepoix and sweat for 3 minutes

• Flambé with cognac, deglaze with white wine, reduce

• Add stock, tomato paste, and bouquet garni; cook 8–10 min at 90 °C (194 °F)

3. Finishing

• Crush shells and strain through a fine chinois

• Add velouté and cream, adjust seasoning

• Optionally bind with beurre manié

Pike Quenelles Preparation

• Cook butter with flour to make a panade

• Blend pike with warm panade, add eggs and cream, season

• Form quenelles and poach 8–10 min

• Reheat gently in sauce for serving

Plating

1. Place 2 quenelles per plate on a bed of sauce

2. Top with peeled crayfish tails

3. Generously coat with hot sauce

4. Optionally sprinkle with fine herbs, check visual balance

5. Serve immediately

Safety and Hygiene Standards

• Cold chain: <4 °C / max 2 h

• Internal cooking temperature: 70 °C

• Rapid cooling: <+4 °C / 2 h

• Dedicated cutting board for crustaceans

Service, Accompaniments, and Pairings

• Presentation type: Fine dining

• Garnishes: Pike quenelles, lightly buttered pilaf rice

• Wine: Mâcon Blanc, served at 10–12 °C

• Non-alcoholic beverages: Fennel infusion, flavored sparkling water

Pairing Tips
Dry, mineral white wine balances the richness of the sauce; herbs subtly recall the crustacean’s aromatic notes.

Nutritional Information (per serving)

• Energy: 350 kcal

• Fat: 25 g

• Carbohydrates: 8 g

• Protein: 20 g

• Fiber: 1 g

Allergens
Crustaceans, lactose, gluten (if velouté with roux), eggs

Possible Adaptations

• Gluten-free: Velouté without flour

• Vegetarian: Vegetable stock + smoked tofu

• Lactose-free / low-salt: Adapt cream and butter

Glossary

• Clean crayfish: remove intestines and fins

• Chinois: fine mesh strainer

• Beurre manié: butter and flour mixture to thicken sauce