Prawns, tomato, pistachio
Prawn bisque used to seem so che¥y and not something I’d do at home until someone actually
talked me through it. In its basic form, it’s terribly easy, uses up the prawn heads and shells,
and boy does it add avour to a pasta sauce. I know it increases the cooking time to this sauce,
well 20 minutes or so, but really if you’re cooking this on a Saturday, it shouldn’t be a hassle.
As you’re making a stock from the prawn heads, you do want to be particular about where
you get them from. Choose fresh or snap frozen.
Serves 4
500 g unpeeled raw prawns
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive
oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
100 ml dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 garlic clove, nely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped oregano
leaves, plus extra to serve
pinch of chilli akes (optional)
300 g cherry tomatoes, halved,
or roma tomatoes, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
unsalted chopped pistachios,
lightly toasted, to serve
FRESH PASTA FOR 4
busiate, linguine, tagliatelle
DRIED PASTA FOR 4
fettuccine, fusilli, linguine
154
Clean the prawns by chopping o their heads and removing the
shells – keep everything, as this will be the base of your prawn
stock, which will enrich the sauce. Devein the prawns – I use
a toothpick to help with this.
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of
the olive oil, along with the carrot, celery and onion, and cook
for 5 minutes or until soft. Throw in the prawn shells and heads.
Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush the heads to draw out
all the avour, then cook for 3–5 minutes, until the prawn shells
change colour. Add the wine and leave it to boil and bubble for
2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and a pinch of salt, along with
1 litre of water. Reduce the heat to low and leave it to simmer
away for 15 minutes.
Strain the prawn stock into a jug, discarding the prawn shells
and heads and vegetables. This is now a lovely, avour-packed
stock that’s ready to boost your pasta sauce. Keep warm.
Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add the remaining
2tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic, oregano and chilli (if using)
and cook for about 30seconds, until fragrant. Add the tomato
and season with salt and pepper. Give everything a good toss
around and leave to cook for 15 minutes or until the tomato
is soft and has released its juice. Add 125 ml (½ cup) of your
prawn stock, then leave to cook for another 5 minutes to allow
the avours to come together. The remaining stock will keep in
the fridge for 3days or in the freezer for up to 3 months (just
remember to label it in the freezer; if you’re anything like me,
you’ll forget what it is).
Throw the prawns into the pan and cook for 3–5 minutes, until
their little blue bodies blush pink.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a lively boil and
season as salty as the sea. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Using tongs, add the pasta directly to the sauce, along with
the lemon zest. Give the pan a really big shake and stir to bring
everything together.
Divide the pasta among bowls, ensuring there is even prawn
distribution (people get very upset) and scatter over the
pistachios. Drizzle over a little olive oil and nish with a few
oregano leaves for prettiness.