Instructions
admittedly a little fussy because of the stock, though methinks it's worth the effort cause it squeezes every last bit of prawn-y goodness into the dish. alas dish looks anemic here -- calling out for that final flourish of italian parsley. :-(
- in a flat-bottomed pan, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. toss in the prawn heads, tails and shell and turn the heat down to medium-low and let it sizzle away till the shells get crisp and start to turn a wonderful burnished copper. this should take about 10-15 minutes.
- ok this is going to sound gruesome but squash + flatten the heads, squeezing out the orangey stuff in the process. remove from heat. transfer to a processor and blitz till fine.
- return the blitzed heads to the original pan (which would have traces of prawn-flavoured oil in it) and add water. let it simmer for a coupla minutes, mixing well.
- strain (i use a metal sieve) into a bowl and set aside.
- over medium-low heat, saute shallots, garlic and onions in a tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter till the onions turn translucent and the garlic releases its fragrance (but not browned!). ** at this point, start to bring a pot of water to the boil.
- turn up the heat and tip in the prawns and scallops. saute till the prawns begin to turn pink --just barely --before adding the white wine. let it bubble away for a minute or so before adding in the reserved prawn stock. turn the heat down and let it bubble away till the pasta's ready.
- tip the strands of cooked pasta into the pan and turn off the heat. add a splash of milk, more white wine if you prefer and the remaining tablespoon of butter and toss gently (tongs are esp. handy here!). add salt + pepper to taste.