Spaghetti with seafood velouté
- 8 oysters
- 300g piece skinned salmon fillet
- 3 large scallops or 6 smaller scallops
- 6 large raw tiger prawns
- 500ml fresh fish stock
- 50g butter
- 1 large shallot, chopped as finely as possible
- 200ml white wine or dry vermouth, or half of each
- 150ml whipping cream
- large handful mixed soft herbs including parsley and chives, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 150g fresh spaghetti
- drizzle olive oil
- chervil or parsley sprigs, to serve
-
Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Moderately easy
Serves 2
- Prepare all the seafood by first opening
the oysters into a sieve over a bowl to
catch the juices (see video technique). Trim and slice
the salmon into 6 equal-size square
chunks. If the scallops are large, cut them
in half lengthways.
Peel and devein the prawns if needed.
- Place the strained oyster juice and fish
stock into a shallow saucepan and bring
to a simmer. First add the salmon and
poach for 1 min. Add the prawns and
oysters (if using large ones) and poach for
1 min more. Add the scallops and poach
for 1 min more, then add the oysters (if
small) and simmer everything for a final
min until just cooked.
- Carefully tip the fish and poaching
liquid into a sieve over a large saucepan
or bowl, keeping all the salmon chunks
intact.
- Heat half the butter in the cleaned
shallow pan and add the shallot. Cook
very gently for 5 mins until soft but not
coloured, then pour in the alcohol and
boil until reduced to a few tablespoons.
Pour in the poaching liquid and boil down
until reduced by half, about 20-25 mins.
Stir in the cream and, once more, reduce
by half. Turn down to a gentle simmer
and whisk in the rest of the butter.
- Gently add the seafood to the sauce,
taking care not to break up the salmon.
Simmer lightly until heated through, then
add most of the herbs, squeeze over the
lemon juice and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in
plenty of boiling water until just done,
about 3-4 mins, then drain well and add
back to the pan with a drizzle of olive oil
and the rest of the herbs. You are now
ready to plate up.
- Use a roasting fork to twirl
a neat bundle of spaghetti. Stand the bundle in the middle
of a warm large pasta bowl. Alternate the salmon and
seafood around the pasta. Spoon the sauce over the
seafood, top the pasta with
the chervil or parsley sprigs
and serve immediately.