Tangy summer salad – The end of crawfish season is a great time to experiment with crawfish tails.

The end of crawfish season is a great time to experiment with crawfish tails. Priced now at just over $10 a pound, they’re a much better deal than their peak per-pound price of $17-$19 around Easter. It’s tempting to make étouffée, especially with local bell peppers in good supply. But don’t forget that crawfish also make a great seafood salad, and they’re quicker and easier to use than either shrimp or crabmeat. There’s no need for mayonnaise when using crawfish because of its natural richness. This salad combines the sweet flavor of crawfish with the spicy bite of fennel and the tang of homemade honey-mustard-lemon vinaigrette.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
˝ cup finely diced yellow onion
1 lb. Louisiana crawfish tails
1 cup chopped yellow pepper
1 cup chopped red pepper
˝ cup chopped celery
˝ cup thinly sliced fennel
˝ cup sliced hearts of palm

Ľ cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. celery seed
˝ cup olive oil
Salt and ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and sauté onions until translucent. Add crawfish tails with fat and sauté for about five minutes, or until the meat is thoroughly cooked and the tails curl. Remove from heat immediately and season with salt and ground pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, preferably with a lid, combine the red and yellow pepper, celery, fennel and hearts of palm.
Prepare dressing by adding the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, honey and celery seed to a food processor. Combine, and while blade is turning, slowly add oil.

Add crawfish tails to bowl with the raw, chopped veggies. Pour ˝ cup of the dressing into the bowl and toss well to combine. Let the salad marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Serve over cold lettuce and garnish with sliced summer tomatoes, fresh basil and a lemon wedge.