Red Prawn Linguine with Carabinero Tartare

Ingredients

• 7 red carabinero prawns (6-8 prawns; heads, tails, and shells reserved for bisque; meat deveined and rinsed)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for the tartare; plus extra for sautéing)
• Maldon sea salt (to taste)
• 1 lime zest (zest of 1 lime)
• 0.25 lemon juice (juice of 1/4 lemon)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 1 carrot (diced)
• 1 celery (diced)
• 1 shallot (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (sliced)
• 1 red chilli (chopped)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 300 ml white wine
• 500 ml water (cold)
• 4.5 ice cubes (4-5 cubes to cool down stock)
• 3 bay leaves
• fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chives, basil for simmering)
• 250 g linguine (estimated for 2 servings)
• 2.5 knobs butter (2-3 knobs for emulsifying)
• Oscietra caviar (for garnish)
• fresh chives (finely chopped for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Twist off the heads and tails of the red carabinero prawns. Carefully peel off the shells, then devein and rinse the prawn meat. Set the cleaned meat aside and reserve all heads and shells for the bisque.

2. 2

   Prepare the tartare: Slice and mince the prawn meat. For texture, finely chop half the prawns and coarsely chop the other half. Place in a bowl and season with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, Maldon sea salt, the zest of 1 lime, and the juice of 1/4 lemon. Adjust seasoning to taste and keep refrigerated until serving.

3. 3

   Lace a medium-high pan with olive oil. Add the reserved prawn shells and heads. Season with sea salt and black pepper and sauté for 3 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the mirepoix (diced carrot, celery, and shallot), sliced garlic, and red chilli to the pan. Sauté for a further 3 minutes.

5. 5

   Stir in 2 tbsp of tomato paste. Deglaze the pan with 300ml of white wine and sauté for 4-5 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook off.

6. 6

   Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Add 500ml of cold water and 4-5 ice cubes to the pan to cool the stock down quickly, which helps maximize the extraction of flavor from the shells.

7. 7

   Once the liquid begins to bubble again, add the herbs: 3 bay leaves, parsley, thyme, chives, and basil. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove and discard the herb sprigs.

8. 8

   Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully blend the mixture (including the shells) using a high-powered blender or immersion blender. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container to extract the smooth prawn bisque.

9. 9

   Add the strained bisque to a large wide pan and bring to a boil. Add the dry linguine directly into the boiling bisque.

10. 10

    Cook the pasta in the bisque, moving it constantly so it doesn't stick. Gradually pour in more bisque as the pasta absorbs the liquid, similar to the method used for risotto, until the pasta is al dente.

11. 11

    Once the pasta is al dente, add 2-3 knobs of butter. Stir vigorously to emulsify the butter into the sauce, using any remaining bisque to loosen the consistency as required.

12. 12

    Twirl the linguine into serving bowls. Spoon over the remaining pan sauce. Top each portion with the chilled prawn tartare, a dollop of Oscietra caviar, and a sprinkle of fresh chives.

Notes

The technique of cooking pasta directly in the bisque (risottata method) ensures the linguine is infused with maximum flavor. If you don't have caviar, the dish is still excellent without it.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• seafood
• dinner
• gourmet
• summer
• Italian