Spicy seafood pasta

Tags

bucatini, Calamari, crab, mussels, Pasta, Seafood, shrimp, spicy

 

As you may have read Nadia has just gone through carpal tunnel surgery on her left hand so this is Stuart, her husband and trusty assistant, with my first guest blog post.  I don’t know how many of these I will do but it might be interesting for some and maybe especially for anyone who isn’t the primary cook in the household.  I always try and help prep things but Nadia is in charge.  I will give my opinions from the viewpoint of someone who doesn’t do this often other than helping.

This recipe is inspired from a Jamie Oliver recipe.  I needed something to work from but it also has a few changes and my insights.

This recipe is just for two people so you can adjust it accordingly.  I went and did the shopping and managed to get the correct items using my best French.

The recipe includes crab meat but we really didn’t think that it added anything to the dish.  In my opinion you either should leave it out or add quite a bit more to make sure that you can really taste it.

The bucatini seems to be a really good match for this dish so I think it is well worth making sure you get this pasta.

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Serves 2

Sauce (this might make a bit more sauce than some people would like)
Ingredients:

1 800g / 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan
Saute garlic for 30 seconds
Add tomatoes
Bring to a boil then cover, simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens up (about 45-60 mins)

Main dish

Here are the main ingredients ready to get started:

Ingredients:

200g / 7oz crab meat (cooked)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp red chili flakes (to taste)
250g / 9oz mussels
150g / 5.5oz calamari/squid
200g / 7oz shrimp
bucatini (85g / 3oz pp uncooked)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Preparation:

You should have already prepared the sauce since that takes time (see above)
Clean and beard the mussels
We had a whole squid so you remove the head and discard.  Clean the remainder thoroughly and cut into small rings.
Use a large sauce pan with plenty of water.  Heat it until boiling then add the bucatini.  Let it boil for about 8 minutes until it is al dente.
A few minutes before the pasta is ready heat uncovered the butter, crushed garlic and oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan
Add the shrimp, crab meat, calamari/squid and mussels
Cook them all on high heat, with a lid on the pan, shaking once or twice for about 4 minutes (all mussels should be opened)
Add the tomato sauce into the seafood
Strain the bucatini and add to the pan with the seafood and sauce
Stir everything up well
Sprinkle with some parsley and oregano
Enjoy!

 

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Lotte à l’américaine / monkfish with américaine sauce

Tags

americaine, fish, lotte, monkfish, Seafood

Sauce américaine is a recipe from classic French cookery containing chopped onions, tomatoes, white wine, brandy, salt, cayenne pepper, butter and fish stock and is often served with fish or lobster. It is sometimes known as sauce armoricaine, which is the original name, derived from Armorica, the ancient name for a region of France including Brittany, which is known for its fishing.

Monkfish is known for its huge head and mouth, and its tight, meaty white flesh that is often compared to lobster meat. It’s commonly used in French cuisine, but it has only recently become popular in the US. Only the monkfish tail is edible, and it’s sold whole or filleted. Any gray or tan membranes should be removed before cooking. The flesh is bright white, lean and mild-tasting. This versatile fish can be prepared using almost any cooking method, and it can be served in soups and stews. Its lean flesh tends to dry out if overcooked. Monkfish has a unique flavor and texture, but you can substitute snapper, sea bass, halibut, mahi-mahi or sea scallops.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

800g / 2 lbs monkfish
2 tablespoons tomato concentrate
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
250 ml / 1 cup dry white wine
60g / 4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cognac
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Cut the monkfish into cubes
Heat 30g / 2 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat and brown the fish for about 5 minutes, set aside
Rince out the pan and heat the oil
Cook the onion and garlic until soft
Add the monkfish and the cognac
Flambé
Pour in the white wine
Add the tomato paste, salt and black pepper
Stir, cover and allow to cook on a low simmer for about 30 minutes
Remove the fish and set aside
Add the rest of the butter to the sauce and sprinkle on the flour to thicken the sauce
Whisk and allow to reduce on medium heat
Place the fish on your warm plates and cover with the sauce
Enjoy!

Prawn and coconut curry

Tags

coconut, curry, prawns, Seafood, shellfish, shrimp

I used the medium prawns that are about 25 prawns to a kilo or half a pound.. These are wild caught, fresh prawns. I am rather fussy about my seafood and will only buy wild caught, not farmed, seafood of any kind. About 10 years ago, I watched a documentary on farmed salmon and shrimp and vowed never to eat farmed seafood again. It might be organic but it simply grossed me out so wild and caught in the ocean directly, it is. Luckily, I am able to buy it here without any problem at all and there is usually way more wild caught than farmed at the local market anyway. So, having stopped in at my friendly open air fishmonger at the Tuesday, Le Bugue market, I looked at what was on offer. Initially, I was thinking scallops but they were very expensive (they are part of the Christmas and New Years dinners here in France, so the price skyrockets during this time) and the fishmonger suggested some beautiful, fat, fresh prawns. So, it was decided – prawn curry was on the menu for dinner. Not being a huge fan of rice, I stopped in at the boulangerie on the way home and bought two fresh, still hot from the oven, naan breads. Side dish, tick.

Prawns and shrimp are sold in a number of different ways. If you are using, as I did, whole fresh ones, with the head and tail still attached, you will need 300g to 400g (11oz to 14oz) per person. If you are using frozen, or peeled ones then roughly half the weight will suffice.

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
Onion, medium, finely chopped
Thumb-size piece fresh root ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of chilli flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
250 ml / 1 cup coconut cream
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate purée
Whole medium prawns, 900g / 2lbs
Cilantro, a small handful, roughly chopped

 

Preparation:

Peel, shell and devein the prawns, set aside
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat
Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent but do not allow to colour
Add the garlic and the ginger and lower heat to medium low
Add the spices and cook for a few minutes, add a drop of water if it starts to burn
Pour in the coconut cream and tomato purée
Stir in the prawns and cook for a few minutes more until they turn pink – take care not to overcook them or they’ll become tough
Sprinkle on the cilantro and serve immediately
Serve with basmati rice or naan bread (or both)
Enjoy!

 

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